AN
INTRODUCTION
TO THE
Critical t>tuDp an& l¬olefcge
OP THE
HOLY SCRIPTURES.
BY
THOMAS HARTWELL HORNE, M.A.
SIXTH EDITION, COERECTBD AND EN&AKGED.
ILLUSTRATED WITH NyMEUOUS MAPS AND FAC-SIBllLES OP
JHHLICAL MANUSCRIPTS.
II.,
LONDON:
PRINTED FOE T. CADELL, STEAND;
W. BLACKWOOD, E0INBUEGH ; ' AND R, MILLIKEN, PUBUN,
MDCCCXXVHL
LONDON :
Printed by A. & R. Spottiswoode,
New-Street- Square.
A C SIMILE 0* THE BIBLIA PAUPERUM.
Supposed to have been executed between A. D, 1420 and 1435,
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CONTENTS
THE SECOND VOLUME.
PART L
ON SCRIPTURE-CRITICISM.
Page
CHAPTER I. On the Original Languages of Scripture.
SECTION I. On the Hebreiv Language.
Introductory Remarks on the Oriental or Shemitish Languages - - 2
I. Origin of the Hebrew Language - 3
II. Historical Sketch of the Hebrew Language - 5
III. Antiquity of the Hebrew Characters - - _ ,. g
IV. Antiquity of the Hebrew Vowel -Points . - - _ 8 12
SECTION II. On the Greek Language,
I. Similarity of the Greek Language of the New Testament with that of
tlie Alexandrian or Septuagint Greek Version - - 13
II. The New Testament, why written in Greek - - 13 ]8
III. Examination of the Style of the New Testament - - 18 22
IV. Its Dialects - - - .. _ _ gg
Hebraisms - 23 27
llabbinisms ----._ 07
Aramteisms, or Syriasms and Chaldaism.s - 27
Latinisms - - . _ gg
Persisms and Cilicisms - - 29
SECTION III. Of the Cognate or Kindred Languages,
I. Aramasan with its two Dialects ; 1. The Chaldee ; 2. The Syriac - 30
II. The Arabic, with its Derivative, the Ethiopie - - _ gj
III. Use and Importance of the Cognate Languages to Sacred Criticism - sj
CHAPTER II. On the Antient Versions of the Scriptures.
SECTION I. On the Targums or Chaldee Paraphrases of the
Old Testament.
I. Targum of Onicelos - _ _ . - 34
II. Targum of" the Pseudo-Jonathan - - _ 35
III. The Jerusalem Targum . _ _ _ i\>i<\.
IV. The Targum of Jonathan Ben Uzziel - ... 35
V. The Targum on the Hagiographa - - - . 37
VI. The Targum on the Megilloth - - _ . jbfd,
VII. VIII. IX. Three Targums on the Book of Esther - - ,,ibld.
X. A Targum on the Books of Chronicles - .ibid.
XI. Real Value of the different Targums - ~ - ibid
A 2
IV
CONTENTS.
SECTION II. On the Antient Greek Versions of the Old Testament. Page
I The Septuagint -
1. History of it - - - -
2. A Critical Account of its Execution -
3. "What Manuscripts were used by its Authois
4. Account of the Biblical Labours of Ongeii
5 Notice of the Recensions or Editions of Eusebius and Pam-
philus, of Lucian and Hesychius - - -
G Importance of the Septuagint Veision in the Ciiticism and In-
terpretation of the New Testament
II Account of other Greek Versions of the Old Testament
1 . Version of Aquila -
2. Version of Theodotion -
3. Version of Symmachus -
4. 5, 6. Anonymous Veisionq -
III. References in Antient Manuscripts ta other Veisions
SECTION III. On the Antient Oriental Versions of the Old and
New Testaments.
I. SyrinL Versions - - ...
1 Peschito, or Literal Version - -
2 Philoxeman Version -
3 Syro-Estrangelo and Palfssti.no- Syriac Version
II. Egyptian Versions -
Coptic and Sahidic Versions - - -
Ammonia.il and Basinuuc Versions ...
III. Ethiopic Version -
IV. Arabic Versions ......
V. Armenian Version -
VI. Persian Versions -
SECTION IV, On the Anlient Western Versions of the Scriptures.
I Antient Latin Versions of the Scriptuies - - -
1. Old Italic or Ante-Hieronymian Veision
2. Bibhcdl Labours and Latin Version of Jeiorae
3. Vulgate Version and its Revisions -
4. Critical Value of the Latin Vulgate Version
The Gothic. Veision -
The Sclavonic Veision - -
II
III.
IV. Anglo-Saxon Version
CHAPTER III. On the Manuscripts of t?ie Bible.
SECTION I. On the Hebrew Manuscripts of the Old Testament.
I. Different Classes of Hebrew Manuscripts .
II. The Rolled Manuscripts of the Synagogue -
III. The Square Manuscripts used by the Jews m private Life
IV. Antient Recensions or Editions of Hebiew Manuscripts
V. Age of Hebrew Manuscripts -
VI. Ot the Order in which the Sacred Books are arranged in Manuscupts
VII. Modern Families or Recensions of Hehiew Manuscripts
VIII. Notice of the most Antient Manuscripts
IX. Brief Notice of the Manuscupts of die Indkn Jews
SECTION II On the Manuscripts of the Samaritan Pentateuch.
I Origin of the Samaritans - ...
II. Account of the Samaritan Pentateuch. Manuscripts of it -
III Variations of the Samaritan Pentateuch from the Hebrew
IV. Versions of the Samaritan Pentateuch -
SECTION III. On the Manuscripts of the Greek Scriptures.
1. General Observations on Greek Manuscripts.
I, On what Materials written -
II, Form of Letters - .
39
39 42
42 44
44 4G
4750
50,51
51
52
52
52
5.T
54
54,55
56
SB 50
59,60
60, Gl
31
62
63
6466
67,68
68
69
69
69
70
7174
74,75
75
76
77,78
80
ibid.
81
82
83
84
85,86
86 89
8991
93
94
95
96, 97
97
98
CONTENTS.
Pa
III. Abbreviations - - - 98, '
IV. Codices Palimpsest! or Rescripti - - - - 1(
V. Account of the different Families, Recensions, 01 Editions of Manu-
scripts of the New Testament - - - 100 1]
1. The System of Dr Gnesbach and Michaelis - - 101 1(
2. The System of M. Mnttbaa - - - - 1C
3. The System of Mi. Nolan - - 104 1J
4 The System of Prof, Hug - - - - 11
5. The System of Piof. Scholz - - - 111 11
VI. On the Focdus cum GIECCIS, or Coincidence between many Gicek Ma-
nuscnpts and the Vulgate Latin Version - - - 11
2. Account of Greek Manuscnpts containing the Old and Netu
Testaments.
I The Alcxandi ian Manuscupt - - 116 12
II. The Vatican Manuscript - - ... 122 12
3. Account of Manuscripts (entire or in part] containhigme
Scptuagint 01 Greek Version of the Old Testament.
I. Tho Codex Cottomanus - - - - -125 12!
II. III. The Codices, Sairavianus and Colbcrtinus - 12
IV. The Codex Cassaieiib - - - - 12
V The Codex Ambrosianus - - - - 12
VI. The Codex Coishnianus - - - -13'
VII The Codex Basilio-Vaticauus - - - 13'
VIII The Codex Tuncensis - - - .13
4. Account of the principal Manuscnpts containing the New
Testament, entire or in part.
I. The Codex Cottoniauus (Titus C. XV ) - 13'
II. The Codex Bezoe 01 Cnntabngicnsis - 13313
III The Codex Eplnemi - - - - 13'
IV The Codex Claiomontanub - - - 13'
V. The Codex Argenteus ,. - - 138, 13'
MSS of the Gothic Version, discovered by signor Mai - 140,14
VI, The Codex Rescriptus of St. Matthew's Gospel in Trinity College,
Dublin - - - - - 14
VII The Codex Laudiamis, 3. 142, 14!
VIII. The Codex Coislmianus - - - - 14'
IX. The Codex Bocmoriatms - - - 14-
X. The Codex Cypnus - - - 14,'
XL The Codex Basibensis E. - - 14(
XII. The Codex San-Germanensis - - 14'
XIII. The Codex Augiensis - - - -141
*XIV. The Codex Harleianus, 5598 - - 14t
XV. The Codc-x Regius, 01 Stephani i\ - - - 14f
XVI. The Codex Uft'enbacluanus - - - 14
XVII. The Codices Manners- Suttoniam - - 15C
XVIII. The Codices Mo&quciises - - - 151
XIX. The Codex Biixieiisw - - - - 151
XX. Other MSS written in small characters, and deserving of especial
notice; viz.
1. The Codex Basileensis, 1 . - 152
2. The Codex Berohncnsis - - - 152
3. The Codex Coisendoncensis - - - J52
4. The Codex Montfoitmnus - - - 153
5. The Codex Meermanmaiius - - - 154
6. The Codex Regius, 50. - - - - 155
7. Tho Codex Leicofatrensis - - - 155
8. The Codex Vindobonenais - * - 156
9. The Codex Ebnerianus - - 156
10. The Codex Ottobonianus - - - - IS 1
XXI, Notices of the Collations of the Barberini and Velcsian Mmmsciipts - 1 57, 158
A 3
y j CONTENTS.
Page
CHAPTER IV. On the Divisions and Marks of Distinction,
occurring in Manuscripts and printed Editions of the Scrip-
tures.
SECTION I. On the Divisions and Marks of Distinction^ occurring
in the Old Testament.
I. Different Appellations given to the Scriptures - - - ] S9
II. General Divisions of the Canonical Books - - - 159
III Particulaily of the Old Testament - - - - ISO
1. The Law - - 162
2. The Prophets - - - - 162
3. The Cetubim or Hagiographa - - - 162
IV. Account of the Masora - - 163167
V. Modern Divisions of the Books of the Old Testament. Chapters
and Verses - ... 167, leg
SECTION II. On the Divisions and Maries of Distinction, occur-
ring in the Nelu Testament.
I. Antient Divisions of TnAoi and Ke0o\ai - - - 159
Ammonian, Eusebian, and Euthalian Sections. Modern Division of
Chapters - - - - - 1TO
II. Account of the Antient and Modern Punctuation of the New Testa-
ment - - - - 171
-Antient Sxoi and Modern Verses - - - 172, 175
III. Of the Titles to each Book - - - 173
IV. Subscriptions to the different Books - - '174
CHAPTER V. Of the Various Readings occurring in the Old
and New Testaments.
I. The Christian Faith not affected by Various Readings - 175
II. Nature of Various Readings. Difference between them and mere
Errata - - - - 177
III. Causes of Various Readings - - _ 177
1. The Negligence or Mistakes of Transcribers - -177 ISO
2. Errors or Imperfections m the Manuscript copied - isj
3. Critical Conjectuie - jg] ? j82
4. Wilful Corruptions of a Manuscript from Party Motives . 183
IV. Sources, whence a true Reading is to be determined - . 133
1. Manuscripts - * , _ jgg 335
2. Antient Editions - - -185
3. Antient Versions - _ _ igg ] 9O
4. Parallel Passages - - 190 jgg
5. Quotations in the Writings of the Fathers - - 192195
6. Critical Conjecture - - - 195, 19G
V. General Rules for judging of Various Readings - 196 gos
CHAPTER VI. On the Quotations from the Old Testament in
the New. (Quotations in the New Testament from the Apo*
cryphal Writers, andfjom Profane Authors - - 204*
SECTION I. On the External Form of the Quotations from the
Old Testament in the Netu,
I. Tables of the Quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures and from the
Septuagint Version, m the Order in which they occur in the New
Testament -
II. Classification of the Quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures in the
New Testament - 247
III. Classification of the Quotations from the Septnagint Version in the
New Testament . 2 ^ I ago
IV.- Considerations on the probable Causes of the seeming Discrepancies
in the Quotations from the Old Testamenfaui the New - - 25<J 259
CONTENTS. Vll
SECTION II. On the Internal Form of Quotations, or the Mode in
tuhich Citations from the Old Testament are applied in the
New. j)
General Observations on the Rabbinical and other Modes of quoting the
Old Testament. Classification of the Quotations in the New
Testament - - * - 260263
I. Quotations from the Old Testament in the New, in which the Predic-
tions are literally accomplished - 269
II. Quotations, in which that is said to have been done, of which the
Scriptures have not spoken in a literal, but in a spiritual, Sense - 264
III. Quotations made by the Sacred Writeis, in the Way of Illustration - 265268
IV. Quotations, and other Passages in the Old Testament, which are al-
luded to in the New - - 263
SECTION III. Of Apocryphal Passages, supposed to be quoted in
the Netu Testament. Quotations from Profane Authors - 270 272
CHAPTER VII. On Harmonies of Scripture.
I. Occasion and Design of Harmonies of Script uie . . 272
II. Harmonies of the Four Gospels - - 273
III. Observations on the different Schemes of Harmonisers, and on the
Duration of the Public Ministry of Jesus Christ - - 275 28C
PAIIT II.
ON THE INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE.
BOOK I.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES Or INTERPRETATION.
CHAPTER I. On the Sense of Scripture.
SECTION I. On the Meaning of Words.
I Nature of Words - - - 28
II. Sense of Scripture defined - - - 28
1. The Literal Sense - - . - - 282, 28
2. The Allegorical, Typical, and Parabolic Sense 28
3. The Moral Sense of Professor Kant shown to be without
Foundation - - 2E
SECTION II. General Rules for investigating the Meaning of
Words .... . 286 2
SECTION III. Of Emphases.
I. Nature of Emphasis . its different kinds - 21
II, Verbal Emphases - - - 2!
1. Emphases of the Greek Article - - -293 2!
2. Emphases of other words - 2!
3. Emphatic Adverbs - - - - 2<
III. Real Emphases - - - 2!
IV. General Rules for the Investigation of Emphases - * 256 2(
CHAPTER, II. On the Subsidiary Means for ascertaining the
Usus Loguendi.
SECTION I. Direct Testimonies for ascertaining the Usus Loquendi.
1. THE TESTIMONY OP CONTBMPOB.AB.T WBITEBS. SODTIOHS or THIS TKS-
TBMtONY !
I. Definition of Words - - - 2
II. Examples, and the Nature of the Subject - . - 3
IT I. Comparison of Similar or Parallel Passages - - 300 fl
viii CONTENTS.
SECTION L Direct Testimonies for ascertaining the Usus Lo- Page
quendz, continued.
2. ANTIENT VERSIONS
Importance of Antient Veisions as an hermeneutical Aid - -310,311
Observations on the respective Merits of the several Antient Ver-
sions - - - - 312
Rules for consulting them to the best advantage - - 313,314
| 3. SCHOLIASTS AND GLOSSOGRAPHERS
I Nature of Scholia - - - - 314
II And of Glossal IBS - - 315
III. Rules for consulting them to advantage in the Interpretation of
the Scriptures - - - - -315, 31 G
4. ON THE TESTIMONY OF FOREIGNERS WHO HAVE ACQUIRED A LANGUAGE 316 318
SECTION II, Indirect Testimonies for ascertaining the Usus Lo-
quendi.
1. Or THE CONTEXT- - . - - 318
I. The Context defined and illustrated - - -318 320
II Rules for ascertaining the Context ... 320324
2. OP THE SUBJECT-MATTER - - - - - 325
3. OF THE SCOPE - - 326
I. The Scope defined. Importance of investigating the Scope of
a Book or Passage of Scripture - - 326
II. Rules for investigating it - - - - 327 33O
4. ANALOGY OF LANGUAGES - - 33O
I. Analogy of Languages defined. Its different Kinds - ibid.
II. Use of Grammatical Analogy - - 331
III. Analogy of Kindred Languages - - - ibid.
IV. Hints for consulting this Analogy in the Interpretation, of Scrip-
ture - 332 334
V. Foundation of Analogy in all Languages - - 334
5. OP THE ANALOGY OF FAITH - - - - 335
I. Analogy of Faith, defined and illustrated - - 335
II. Its Importance in studying the Sacred Writings - - 336
III. Rules for investigating the Analogy of Faith - - 337 340
6. ON THE ASSISTANCE TO BE DERIVED raoji JEWISH WRITINGS IN THE IN-
TERPRETATION OF THE SCRIPTURES
I. The Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament - - 341
II. The Talmud _____ 341
1. The Misna - - - ibid.
2. The Gemara or Commentary - 342
Jerusalem and Babylonish Tahuuds - - ibid.
III. The Writings of Philo and Josephus - - 344
1. Account of Philo - ibid.
2. Account of Josephus - - - 345, 346
7. OH THE ASSISTANCE TO BE DERIVED FROM THE WRITINGS OF THE GREEK
FATHERS IN THE INTERPRETATION OF THE SCRIPTURES - - 347 350
8. OH HISTORICAL CIRCUMSTANCES
I. Order of the Different Books of Scripture - - 351
II. Their Titles - - ibid.
III. Their Authors - - - - - - 352
IV. Their Dates _____ ibid.
V. The Place where written - 353
VI. Occasion on which they were written _ 354
VII. Antient Sacred and Profane History - ibid.
VIII. Chronology ... - - 356
IX. Biblical Antiquities, including
1. The Political and Ecclesiastical State of the Jews and other
Nations mentioned in the Scriptures - - - ibid.
2. Coins, Medals, and other antient Remains - - 357
Cautions in the Investigation of Biblical Antiquities - 358 -360
3. Geography - _ - - 361
4 Genealogy - - - ibid.
5. Natural History - - - - - 361, 362
6 Philosophical Sects and Learning - - 362
9. ON COMMENTARIES .
I. Different Classes of Comment&toin - 362
CONTENTS.
P.
IT. Nature of Scholia - - f
III. Of Commentators, strictly so called - ib
IV Paraphrases - 3
V. Collections of Observations on Holy Writ - 3
VI. The Utility and Advantage of Commentaries - - ib
VII. Design to be kept in View when consulting them - - fl
VIII. Rules for consulting Commentators to the best Advantage - 366 3
BOOK II.
ON THE SPECIAL INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE.
CHAPTER I. On the Intel pretation of the Figurative Lan-
guage of Scripture - - - ---36
SECTION I. General Observations on the Interpretation of Tropes
and Figures ^ - - - - - - 371 3*5
SECTION II. On the Interpretation of the Metonymies occurring
in the Scriptures.
Nature of a Metonymy - 3'
I. Metonymy of the Cause - 379 31
II. Metonymy of the Effect - - - SI
III. Metonymy of the Subject - - -382 3J
IV. Metonymy of the Adjunct, in which the Adjunct is put for the
Subject - - - - 384 Si
SECTION III. On the Interpretation of Scripture Metaphors.
Natuie of a Metaphoi Souiceb of Sciiptnie Metaphois - - 3Sff, Sf
I. The Works of Natuie - - - SE
1, Antliropopathy - - - 3
2. Prosopopoeia - . - - S
II. The Occupation?, Customs, and Arts of Life . 3S
III. Sacred Topics, or Religion and Things connected with it - 33
IV. Sncred History - - 39
SECTION IV. On the Interpretation of Scripture Allegories.
The Allegoiy defined. Different Species of Allegory 39
llules for the Intel pretation ot Scripture Allegories - 393 -39
SECTION V. On the Interpretation of Scripture Parables.
I. Natuic of a Paiable ... - _ 39
1 1, Antiquity of this Mode of Insti uctiou - - - 40
III Uulcs foi the Inteipretation of Parables - - -400 40
IV. Paiables, why used by Jesus Chi ist - - 406 t 40
V. Remarks on the distinguishing Excellencies of Christ's Parables, com-
pared with the most culebiated Fables of Antiquity - - 40? 41
SECTION VI. On Scripture Provetbs.
I Nature of Proverbs. Prevalence of this Mode of Iiiiti uction - 4J 1
II. Diflerent Kinds of Proveibs - - - 41
III. The Proveibs occuuiug in the New Testament, how to be interpreted - ibid
SECTION VII. Concluding Observations on the Figurative Lan-
guage of Scripture.
I. Syncchdoche - - - - - 41,
II. Iiony - - - - 41i
III. Hyperbole - - - - - 41'
IV. Paronomasia - - - - 411
X CONTENTS.
Page
CHAPTER II, On the Interpretation of the Poetical Parts of
Scripture.
I. A large Portion of the Old Testament proved to be Poetical. Culti-
vation of Poetry by the Hebrews - - -419 421
II. The Sententious Parallelism, the Grand Characteristic of Hebrew
Poetry. Its Origin and Varieties - - -421 424
1. Parallel Lines gradational - 424426
2. Parallel Lines antithetic - - 426
3. Parallel Lines constructive ... 427 429
4. Parallel Lines introverted - - 429, 430
III. The Poetical Dialect not confined to the Old Testament. Reasons
for expecting to find it in the New Testament - -430,431
Proofs of the Existence of the Poetical Dialect there
1. From simple and direct Quotations of single Passages from
the Poetical Parts of the Old Testament - - 432
2. From Quotations of different Passages, combined into one
connected whole - ... 432, 433
3. From Quotations mingled with Original matter - - 433, 434
IV. Original Parallelisms occurring in the New Testament ,
1. Parallel Couplets - - - - - - 435
2. Parallel Triplets - - - - - - 435
3. Quatrains - ... - - 436
4, 5. Stanzas of Five and Six Lines - 436, 437
6. Stanzas of more than Six Parallel Lines - 438
V. Other Examples of the Poetical Parallelism in the New Testament
1. Parallel Lines gradational - - - -439
2. The Epanodos - - - 440
VI. Different kinds of Hebrew Poetry .
1. Prophetic Poetiy - 441, 442
2 Elegiac Poetiy - - - 443
8. Didactic Poetry . _ - - - 443
4. Lyric Poetry - - - - - 443
5. The Idyl -__-,_ 443
6 Dramatic Poetry - - - - 443
7. Acrostic or Alphabetical Poetry - 444
VII. General Observations for better understanding the Poetical Compositions
of the Sacred Poets - 445,446
CHAPTER III. On the Spiritual Interpretation of the Scriptures.
SECTION I. General Observations on the Spiritual Interpretation
of the Scriptures - - 41.6 4,49
SECTION II. Canons for the Spiritual Interpretation of Scripture.
SECTION III. On the Interpretation of Types. 449 454
I. Nature of a Type - 455
II, Different Species of Types
1. Legal Types 45C
2. Pi ophetical Types - 457
3. Historical Types - - .... 4^-7
III. Rules for the Interpretation of Types - - 453 460
IV. Remarks on the Interpretation of Symbols - 460 453
CHAPTER IV. On the Interpretation of the Scriptut e Pt ophecies.
SECTION I. General Rules for ascertaining the Sense of the
Prophetic Writings - ... 452 4^8
SECTION II. Observations on the Accomplishment of Prophecy in
general .... . 468472
SECTION III. Observations on the Accomplishment of Prophecies
concerning the Messiah in particular - - 473 475
CHAPTER V. On the Dochinal Interpretation of Scripture 475 482
CONTENTS. XI
Page
CHAPTER VI. Moral Interpretation of Scripture.
SECTION I. On the Interpretation of the Moral Parts of Scrip-
ture - . - _ 482 48
SECTION II. On the Interpretation of the Promises and Threat-
enings of Scripture - 489 492
CHAPTER VII. On the Interpretation^ and, Means of Har-
monising Passages of Scripture, 'which are alleged to be con-
tradictory.
SECTION I. Seeming Contradictions in Historical Passages.
1. Seeming Contradictions in the different Circumstances related - 49 S 502
2. Apparent Contradictions from Things being related in a duTeient Order
by the Sacred Writers - 502 504
3. Apparent Contradictions, arising from Differences in Numbers - 504506
4. Apparent Contradictions in the relation of Events in one Passage, and
References to them in another - - 507
SECTION II. Apparent Contradictions in Chronology - 507 511
SECTION III. Apparent Contradictions between Ptophecies and
their Fulfilment ----- 512514
SECTION IV. Apparent Contradictions in Doctrine.
1 . Seeming Contradictions from a Mode of speaking, which, to our Appre-
hensions, is not sufficiently clear - 514 516
2. Apparent Contradictions from the same Terms being used in different
and even Contradictory Senses - - _ - - 516,517
3, Apparent Contradictions, in Points of Doctrine, arising from, the dif-
ferent Designs of the Sacred Writeis - - - -517,518
4. Apparent Contradictions, arising fiom the different Ages in which the
Sacred Writers lived, and the different Degrees of Knowledge which they
possessed - - - - - - 518, 519
SECTION V. Seeming Contradictions to Morality - 519 534
SECTION VI. Apparent Contradictions oettueen the Sacred Writers 535 547
SECTION VII. Seeming Inconsistencies between Sacred and Profane
Writers - - - 547553
SECTION VIII. Alleged Contradictions to Philosophy and the
Nature of Things - 553 56C
CHAPTER VIII, On the Influential and Ptactlcal Reading
qfScriptuie.
SECTION I. On the Inferential Reading of the Bible.
I. General Ilnlo-j for the Deduction of Inforuncos - 561 56'
II, Observations for ascertaining tho Souices of Internal Inferences - 5G4, 5G/
III, Observations for ascertaining the Sources of External Inferences - 56$ 5(jj
SECTION II, On the Practical Reading of Scripture - 568574
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX, containing a Concise Account of
the Principal Editions of the Holy Scriptures, and of the Prin-
cipal Philologers, Critics, and Commentators, luho have elit'
cidated the Text, History, and Antiquities of the Bible 1 322
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL INDEX - - - 323 345
Lately published by the Author of this WotJc,
I. A COMPENDIOUS INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF THE
BIBLE being an ANALYSIS or Abridgement of the present Work. In one laigu
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suliinir Sir Home's larger Treatise , to those who are commencing their biblical studies , to all, in short,
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Manual m the English Language." CHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER, February, 1827,
truth,
Compendiouti "introduction "IB "the" CHEAPEST work in the language on the subject of Biblical Criticism."
EVANGELICAL MAG WINE, February, 1827
" It is quite an acquisition, as an analysis of his large Work, and as bringing many of Its important points
before us It would form an admirable text-book to any theological proiessoi , and the general bdiolar
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INTRODUCTION
TO THE
CRITICAL STUDY AND KNOWLEDGE
OF
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.
ON THE CRITICISM AND INTERPRETATION OF THE
SCRIPTURES.
C^RITICISM, in the more extensive sense of the term, is the art of
forming a correct, judgment concerning any object proposed to our
consideration. In a more restricted sense, particularly with reference
to the works of antient authors, it was fashionable, for a considerable
time, among the literati on the continent of Europe, to employ this
term as indicating merely that kind of labour and judgment, which
was employed in settling the genuineness of the whole or part of the
text of any author. But the term is now generally used in a much
more enlarged sense, viz. to indicate any kind of labour or judgment,
which is occupied either in the literary history of the text itself or ira
settling or explaining it. To the former the German philosophers
have given the appellation of lower criticism,- while the latter has been
tei med Jughei criticism, because its objects and results are of a much
more important nature. l In this latter sense, the term is taken in
the present volume, which is devoted to the consideration of the
Criticism and Interpretation of the Holy Scriptures.
The FIRST PART, which treats on Scripture Criticism, will be
found to comprise a concise account of the languages in which the
Sacred Volume is written ; a sketch of its. literary history, and of the
several divisions and subdivisions of it, which have obtained at different
times, The nature of various readings, and the means of determin-
ing genuine readings, will next be considered, together with the
quotations from the Old Testament in the New, and the nature and
different kinds of Harmonies of the Old and New Testament.
In the SECOND PART the principles and subsidiary means of Scrip-
ture Interpretation are discussed, together with the application of
them to the exposition of the Sacred Volume, both exegetical and
practical.
1 Muntiuglie, Brevis Expositio Criticcs Vet. Focd, pp. 1, 2. Jalm'a Dissertations,
by Piof, Stuart, pp. t>M, GS, Cleric-i AIM Cntica, pp. 1, 2.
VOL. H. *B
On the Original Languages ofSctiptwe. [Part I. Ch.
PART I.
ON SCRIPTURE CRITICISM.
CHAPTER I.
ON THE LANGUAGES IN WHICH THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS
ARE WRITTEN.
A KNOWLEDGE of the original languages of Scripture is of
the utmost importance, and indeed absolutely necessary, to him who
is desirous of ascertaining the genuine meaning of the Sacred Vo-
lume. Happily, the means of acquiring these languages are now
so numerous and easy of access, that the student, who wishes to
derive his knowledge of the Oracles of God from pure sources, can
be at no loss for guides to direct him in this delightful pursuit.
SECTION I.
ON THE HEBREW LANGUAGE.
Introductory Remarks on the Oriental or Shemitish Languages.
I. Origin of the Hebtetu Language II. Historical Sketch of this
Language. III. And of its Characters. IV. Of the Votael Points.
C( J.~HE languages of Western Asia, though differing in respect to
dialect, are radically the same, and have been so, as far back as any
historical records enable us to trace them. Palestine, Syria, Phoeni-
cia, Mesopotamia, Babylonia, Arabia, and also Ethiopia are reckoned
as the countries., where the languages commonly denominated Oz-
ental have been spoken. Of late, many critics have rejected the ap-
pellation t Oriental, 1 as being too comprehensive, and substituted
that of ' Shemitish,' a denominative derived from Shem. To this,
however, objections of a similar nature may be urged ; for no incon-
siderable portion of those, who spoke the languages in question, were
not descendants of Shem. It is matter of indifference which ap-
pellation is used, if it be first defined.
The Oriental Languages may be divided into three principal
dialects, viz. the Aramaean, the Hebrew, and the Arabic.
1. The Aramaean, spoken in Syria, Mesopotamia, and Babylonia
or Chaldaea, is subdivided into the Syriac and Chaldee dialects ; or,
as tireyare sometimes called, the East and West Aramsean.
2. The Hebrew or Canaanitish (Isa. xix. 18.) was spoken in
Palestine, and probably with little variation in Phrenicia, and the
Phoenician colonies, as at Carthage and other places,
I. Sect. I.] On the Hebrew Language.
*
3. The Arabic, to which the Ethiopia bears a special resemblan
has, in modern times, a great variety of dialects, as a spoken L
guage, and is spread over a vast extent of country. But, so far
we are acquainted with its former state, it appears more antiently
have been principally limited to Arabia and Ethiopia.
The Arabic is very rich in forms and words; the Syriac, so
as it is yet known, is comparatively limited in both ; the Hebr
holds a middle place between them, both as to copiousness of woi
and variety of forms." l
Besides the preceding dialects, there are many slighter variatic
of language, sometimes distinguished from the general names
local appellations. Thus, the Ephraimites could not distingu
between the letters D (s) and & (sh), as the Hebrews did, in spes
ing : hence the Ephraimites pronounced Szbboleth instead of S&
boleth. (Judges xii. 6.) Nehemiah was indignant, that part
his countrymen should speak the language of Ahhdod. (Neh. x
2325.)
The Samaritan dialect appears to be composed (as one mig
expect, see 2 Kings xvii.) of Aiamaean and Hebrew: and t
slighter varieties of Arabic are as numerous as the provinces whc
the language is spoken.
I. ORIGIN or THE HEBREW LANGUAGE.
Of all the Oriental Languages, the HEBREW bears marks of bei
the most antient : in this language the Old Testament is writtc
with the exception of a few words and passages that are in t
Chaldacan dialect. Q According to some critics, it derived its nar
from Heber, one of the descendants of Shem (Gen. x. 21. 25.
14. 16, 17.): but other learned men are of opinion that it is d
rived from the root "OV (AB^R), to pass over, whence Abraham w
denominated the Hebrew (Gen. xiv, 13.), having passed over t
river Euphrates to come into the land of Canaan. This last oj
nion appears to be best founded, from the general fact that t
most antient names of nations were appellative, " But, whatev
extent of meaning was attached to the appellation Hebrew, befc
the time of Jacob, it appears afterwards to have been limited or
to his posterity, and to be synonymous with Israehte.
The origin of the Hebrew Language must be dated farther ba
than the period, to which we can trace the appellation Hebrew.
is plain, from the names of persons and places in Canaan, th
wherever Abraham sojourned, he found a language in which
could easily converse, viz. the Hebrew or Phoenician languag<
That this was originally the language of Palestine, appears plain fn
the names of nations being appellative, and from other facts in resp<
to the formation of this dialect. Thus, the West is, in Hebrew t
(YUM), which means the sea, that is, towards the Mediterranean S
As the Hebrew has no other proper word for west) so it must
1 Stuart's Hebicw Giammai, pp, 1, 2.
- Besides some Cluildee woids occasionally inserted in the historical and piophct
books, after tin- Israelites became; acquainted with the Babylonians, the following pasu
of the Old Testament aie wnttcn in tbe Chaldee dialect, -viz. Jer. x. 11. Dan. ii. 4
the end of chap. vii. and Ezraiv, 8. to vi. 19. and vii. 12. to 17.
B 2
4 On the Original Languages of Scripture. [Part I. Ch.
evident that the language, in its distinctive and peculiar forms, must
have been formed in Palestine. 1
The Jewish Rabbins, Jonathan the author of the Chaldee Para-
phrase, Solomon Jarchi, and Aben-Ezra, have affirmed that Hebrew
was the primitive language spoken in Paradise ; and their opinion
has been adopted by Origen, Jerome, Augustine, and some other
fathers, as well as by some modern critics and philologers,. Huet,
however, and the majority of modern critics, are of opinion, that
the language spoken by Adam perished in the confusion of
tongues at Babel. But it seems highly probable, that if the original
parents of mankind were placed in "Western Asia, they spoke sub-
stantially the language which has for more than fifty centuries per-
vaded that country. 2 Without adopting, therefore, the hypothesis
just stated, which rests only on bare probabilities, we may observe
that the Hebrew is the most antient of all the languages in the
world; at least we Icnow of none that is older: that it is not im-
probable that it was the general language of men at the dispersion ;
and, however it might have subsequently been altered and improved,
that it appears to be the original of all the languages, or rather
dialects, which have since arisen in the world. 3
Various circumstances, indeed, combine to prove that Hebrew
is the original language, neither improved nor deba&ed by foreign
idioms. The words of which it is composed are very short, and
admit of very little flexion, as may be seen on reference to any
Hebrew grammar or lexicon. The names of persons and places are
descriptive of their nature, situation, accidental circumstances, &c.
The names of brutes express theii nature and properties more sig-
nificantly and more accurately than any other known language in
the world. The names also of various antient nations are of He-
brew origin, being derived from the sons or grandsons of IShuni,
Ham, and Japhet ; as the Assyrians from Ashur ; the Elamites from
Elam; the Aramaeans from Aram; the Lydians from Liul; the
Cimbrians or Cimmerians from Gomer ; the Medians from Machii,
the son of Japhet; the loniatts from Javan, &c. 4 Fmther, the
names given to the heathen deities suggest an additional proof of
the antiquity and originality of the Hebrew language ; thus, Japetus
is derived from Japhet; Jove, from JEHOVAH; Vulcan, from Tubul-
Cain, who first discovered the use of iron and brass, &c. &c. Lastly,
the traces of Hebrew which are to be found in very many other
languages, and which have been noticed by several learned men,
afford another argument in favour of its antiquity and priority.
These vestiges are particularly conspicuous in the Chaldee, Syriac,
Arabic, Persian, Phoenician, and other languages spcfkcu by the
people who dwelt nearest to Babylon, where the first division of
languages took place. 5
' " - - - - - ^__
1 part's Heb. Gram. p. 5-
* Hoef, Demonjtr. Evang. Prop. IV. c. 13, After, Hcrmcneut. Vet. Ttibt, torn, i.
p. 321. Sort's Heb. Giam, p 6.
s Dr. 0r. Sharpe's Dissertations on the Origin of Languages, &c, pp, 22. ft spa.
GrotiuB de Ventete, lib.i. sect. 16. Walton's Prolegomena to the London Poly-
glott, prol ni. s, (p. 76. ed. Dathii.) 5 Walton, Prol. in. 7, 8. (pp. 76, 77.)
I. Sect. I.] On the Hebrew Language.
The knowledge of the Hebrew language was diffused very wi
by the Phoenician merchants, who had factories and colonie!
almost every coast of Europe and Asia; that it was identically
same as was spoken in Canaan, or Phoenicia, is evident iron
being used by the inhabitants of that country from the tinn
Abraham to that of Joshua, who gave to places mentioned in the
Testament, appellations which aiepure Hebrew; such are, IChi
scpher, or the city of books, and Kinath-sannah, or the city of le
tng. (Josh. xv. 15. 49.) Another proof of the identity of the
languages arises fiom the circumstance of the Hebrews conver
with the Canaanites without an interpreter; as the spies sent
Joshua with Rahab (Josh, ii.); the ambassadors sent by the Gib
ites to Joshua (Josh. ix. 3 25.), &c. But a still stronger proc
the identity of the two languages is to be found in the fragmenl
the Punic tongue which occur in the writings of antient auth
That the Carthaginians (Poem) derived their name, origin,
language from the Phoenicians, is a well-known and authentic,
fact; and that the latter sprang from the Canaanites might easiV
shown from the situation of their country, as well as from t
manners, customs, and ordinances. Not to cite the testimonie
profane authors on this point, which have been accumulated
Bishop Walton, we have sufficient evidence to prove that they i
considered as the same people, in the fact of the Phoenicians
Canaanites being used promiscuously to denote the inhabitant
the same country. Compare Exod, vi. 15. with Gen. xlvi. 10.
Exod. xvi. 33. with Josh. v. 12., in which passages, for the Hel
words translated Canaanitish and land of Canaan, the Septua
reads Phoenician and the country of Phoenicia.
II. HISTORICAL SKETCH or THE HEBREW LANGUAG-E,
The period from the age of Moses to that of David has I
considered the golden age of the Hebrew language, which decl
in purity from that time to the reign of Hezekiah or Manasseh, 1
ing received several foreign woidb from the commercial and poll
intercourse of the Jews and Israelites with the Assyrians and B:
loniaus. This period has been termed the silver age of the Hel
language. In the interval between the reign of Hezekiah and
Babylonish captivity, the puiity of the language was neglected,
so many foreign words were introduced into it, that this period
not inaptly been designated its iion age. During the seventy yi
captivity, though it does not appear that the Hebrews entirely
their native tongue, yet it underwent ao considerable a change 1
their adoption of the vernacular languages of the countries w
they had resided, that afterwards, on their return from exile,
spoke a dialect of Chaldee mixed with Hebrew words. On
account, it was, that, when the Hebrew Scriptures were reac
was found necessary to interpret them to the people in the Chald
language; as, when Ezra the scribe brought the book of the la
Moses before the congregation, the Levites are said to have ca
the people to understand the law, because they read in the boot
the law of God, distinctly, AND GAVE THE SENSE, AND CAUSED T
B 3
6 ' On the Original Languages of Scripture. [Part I. Ch.
TO UNDERSTAND THE HEADING (Neh. viii. 8. 1 ). Some time after
the return from the great captivity 3 Hebrew ceased to be spoken
altogether : though it continued to be cultivated and studied, by the
priests and Levites, as a learned language, that they might be enabled
to expound the law and the prophets to the people, who, it appears
from the New Testament, were well acquainted with their general
contents and tenor; this last-mentioned period has been called the
leaden age of the language. 2 " How long the Hebrew was retained,
both In writing and conversation ; or in writing, after it ceased to
be the language of conversation, it is impossible to determine. The
coins, stamped in the time of the Maccabees, are all the oriental
monuments we have, of the period that elapsed between the latest
canonical writers, and the advent of Christ ; and the inscriptions on
these are. in Hebrew. At the time of the Maccabees, then, Hebrew
was probably understood, at least, as the language of books : per-
haps, in some measure, also, among the better informed, as the lan-
guage of conversation. But soon after this, the dominion of the
Seleucidae, in Syria, over the Jewish nation, uniting with the former
influence of the Babylonish captivity, in promoting the Aramaean
dialect^ appears to have destroyed the remains of proper Hebrew,
as a living language, and to have universally substituted, in its stead,
the Hebrseo- Aramaean, as it was spoken, in the time of our Saviour.
Prom the time when Hebrew ceased to be vernacular, down to the
present day, a portion of this dialect has been preserved in the Old
Testament. It has always been the subject of study among learned
Jews. Before and at the time of Christ, there were nourishing Jewish
academies at Jerusalem; especially under Hillel and Shammai.
After Jerusalem was destroyed, schools were set up in various places,
but particularly they flourished at Tiberias, until the death of II.
Judah, surnamed HaMcodesh or the Holy, the author of the Mishna;
about A. D. 230. Some of his pupils set up other schools in Baby-
lonia, which became the rivals of these. The Babylonish academics
flourished until near the tenth centuiy." 3 From" the academies at
Tiberias and in Babylonia, we have received the Targunw, the Tal-
mud, the Masora (of all which an account will be found in tlm course
of the present volume), and the written vowels and accents of the
Hebrew language. The Hebrew of the Talmud and of the llabbius
has a close affinity with the later Hebrew.
III. ANTIQUITY OF THE HEBREW CHARACTERS.
The present Hebrew Characters, or Letters, are twenty-two in
T^^i!S!7 k **"? * lie * b ve l )ract ' ce exists at the I""* tiino > ~
Jews, at Sympheropol, ln Cnm Tartary, where the
. , . :o ~j. uunaLiuuo a* aravancore, in tic Uiast lliclieq whwo tlm t,',,,u,,,,
^asss^issss^sEs
r ' 3 i5tiiai-t's Heh. Gi^ra, p, la.
1. Sect. 1.] Un the fieorew
number, and of a square form : but the antiquity of these letters is
a point that has been most severely contested by many learned men.
From a passage in Eusebius's Chronicle 1 , and another in Jerome 2 ,
it was inferred by Joseph Scaligcr, that Ezra, when he reformed the
Jewish church, transcribed the antient characters of the Hebrews
into the square letters of the Chaldaeans : and that this was done for
the use of those Jews, who, being born during the captivity, knew
no other alphabet than that of the people among whom they had
been educated. Consequently, the old character, which we call the
Samaritan, fell into total disuse. This opinion Scaliger supported
by passages from both the Talmuds, as well as from rabbinical
writers, in which it is expressly affirmed that such characters were
adopted by Ezra. But the most decisive confirmation of this point
is to be found in the antient Hebrew coins, which were struck before
the captivity, and even previously to the revolt of the ten tribes. The
characters engraven on all of them are manifestly the same with the
modern Samaritan, though with some trifling variations in their
forms, occasioned by the depredations of time. These coins, whether
shekels or half shekels, have all of them, on one side, the golden
manna-pot (mentioned in Exod. xvi. 32, 33.), and on its mouth, or
over the top of it, most of them have a Samaritan Aleph, some an
Aleph and Schm, or other letters, with this inscription, The Shekel of
Israel, in Samaritan chaiacters. On the opposite side is to be seen.
Aaron's rod with almonds, and in the same letters this inscription,
Jerusalem the holy. Other coins are extant with somewhat different
inscriptions., but the same characters are engraven on them all."
The opinion originally produced by Scaliger, and thus decisively
corroborated by coins, has been adopted by Casaubon, Vossius,
Grotius, Bishop Walton, Louis Cappel, Dr. Prideaux, and other
eminent biblical critics and plulologers, and is now generally re-
ceived : it was, however, very strenuously though unsuccessfully
opposed by the younger Buxlorf, who endeavoured to prove, by a
variety of passages from rabbinical writers, that both the square and
the Samaritan characters were antiontly used; the present square
character being that in which the tables of the law, and the copy depo-
sited in the ark, were written ; and the other characters being employed
in the copies of the law which were mude for private and common
use, and m civil affairs in general ; and that, after the captivity,
Ezra enjoined the former to be used by tbti Jews on all occasions,
leaving the latter to the Samaritans and apostates. Independently,
however, of the strong evidence against Buxtorf's hypothesis, which
is afforded by the antient Hebrew coins, when we consider the impla-
cable enmity that subsisted between the Jews and Samaritans, is it
ference between the Clmldee (or square) and the Samaritan letters
1 Sub anno 4710. 9 p raj f. i,, i u eg<
Walton, Pro! in. 29-37. (pp. 103 IMS,) Cttvpzov, CriUea Sicrn, up. ayfi M11.
Cnticji Sacia, pp, m 127,
JJ 4.
8 ' On the Original Languages of Scripture. [Part I. Cli.
with respect to convenience and beauty, is calmly considered, it
must be acknowledged that they never could have been used at tlie
same time. After all, it is of no great moment which of these, or
whether either of them, were the original characters, since it does
not appear that any change of the words has arisen from the manner
of writing them, because the Samaritan and Hebrew Pentateuchs
almost always agree, notwithstanding the lapse of so many ages.
Tt is most probable that the form of these characters has varied at
different periods : this appears from the direct testimony of Mont-
faucon \ and is implied m Dr, Kenmcott's making the characters,
in which manuscripts are written, one test of their age. <J It js, how-
ever, certain that the Chaldee or square character was the common
one : as in Matt. v. 8. the yod is referred to as the smallest letter in
the alphabet. It is highly probable that it was the common cha-
racter, when the Septuagint version was made 5 because the depart-
ures in the Hebrew text from that version, so far as they have
respect to the letters, can mostly be accounted for, on the ground,
that the square characters were then used, and that the final letters
which vary from the medial or initial form, were then wanting, 11
IV, ANTIQUITY OF THE HEBREW VOWEL POINTS.
But however interesting these inquiries may be in a philological
point of view, it is of far greater importance to be satisfied con-
cerning the much litigated, and yet undecided, question respecting
the antiquity of the Hebrew points ; because, unless the student has
determined for himself, after a rnatuie investigation, he cannot with
confidence apply to the study of this sacred language. Tluee opi-
nions have been offered by learned men on this subject. By some,
the origin of the Hebiew vowel points is maintained to be coeval
with the Hebrew language itself: while otheis assert them to have
been first introduced by Ezra after the Babylonish captivity, when
he compiled the canon, transcribed the books into the present Chul-
dee characters, and restored the purity of the Hebrew text. A third
hypothesis is, that they were invented, about five hundred years
after Christ, by the doctors of the school of Tiberias, for the purpose
of marking and establishing the genuine pronunciation, for the con-
venience of those who were learning the Hebrew tongue. This
opinion, first announced by Rabbi Elias Levita in the beginning of
the sixteenth century, has been adopted by Cappel, Calvin, Luther,
Casaubon, Scaliger, Masclef, Erpenius, Houbigant, L'Advocat,
Bishops Walton, Hare, and Lowth, Dr. Kennicott, Dr. Gulden,
and other eminent critics, British and foreign, and is now generally
received, although some few writers of respectability continue stre-
nuously to advocate their antiquity. The Jrcanum Pwctationis
Revelatum of Cappel was opposed by Buxtorf in a treatise De Punc-
tonvm Vocalium Anhquitat^ by whom the controversy was almost
exhausted. We shall briefly state the evidence on both sides.
1 Hexapla Origenis, torn. i. pp. 22. et sey.
8 Dissertation on the Hebrew Text, vol. i, pp. 310314..
3 Stuart's Hebrew Grammar, p. 1 6.
I. Sect I.] On the Hebrew Language* 9
That the vowel points are of modern date, and of human inven-
tion, the anti-punctists argue from the following considerations :
1. " The kindred, Shemitish languages antiently had no written vowels.
The most antient Estrange] o and Kufish characters, that is, the ancient
characters of the Syrians and Arabians, were destitute of vowels. The
Palmyrene inscriptions, and nearly all thePhemcian ones, are destitute of
them. Some of the Maltese inscriptions, however, and a few of the Phe-
nician have marks, which probably were intended as vowels. The Koran
was confessedly destitute of them, at first. The punctuation of it occa-
sioned great dispute among Mohammedans. In some of the older Syriac
wntings, is found a single 1 point, which by being placed in different posi-
tions in regai d to words, served as a diacritical sign. The pi c^ent vowel
system of the Syrians was introduced so late as the time of Theophilus
and Jacob of Edcssa. (Cent, vui.) The Aiabic vowels were adopted,
soon after the Koran was written, but their other diacritical marks did
nol come into use, until they were introduced by Ibn Molcla, (about A.D.
900,) together with the Nislu chaiacter, now in common use." l
9 The Samaritan letters, which (we hive already seen) weie the same
with the Hebrew characters before the captivity, have no points ; nor
are there any vestiges whatever of vowel points to be traced either in.
the shekels stiuck by the kings of Israel, or in the Samaritan Pentateuch.
The words have always been lead by the aid of the four letters Aleph,
He, Vau, and Jod, which aic called malres lectwms, or motheis of reading.
3. The copies of the Scupturcs used in the Jewish synagogues to the
present time, and which aie accounted particularly sacied, are constantly
wiittcn without points, or any distinctions of verses whatever : a practice
that could never have been intioduced, nor would it have been so reli-
giously followed, if vowel points had been coeval with the language,
or of divine authority. To this fact we may add, that in many of the
oldest and best manuscripts, collated and examined by Dr. Kenmcott,
either there arc no points at all, or they are evidently a late addition ;
and that all the antient various readings, marked by the Jews, regard
only the letters , not one of them relates to the vowel points, which
could not have happened if these had been in use.
4 Rabbi Elias Levita ascribes the invention of vowel points to the
doctors of Tiberias, and IMS conninicd the fact by the authoiity of the
most leained rabbins.
5. The antient Cabbal^ta 2 draw all their mysteries from the letters;
but none from the vowel points ; which they could not have neglected if
they had been acquainted with them. And hence it is concluded, that the
points were notin cxistenccwhcn the Cabbalistic intcipretationsweiemade.
6. Although the Talmud contains the determinations of the Jewish
doctors concerning many passages of the law, it is evident that the points
i Stuart's Hobiew Graimnai, p. 19.
" The Cabbabsts were a, set of labbinical doctois among the Jews, who derived their
name from their studying tlio Cabbala, a inystenovis Kind of Ncionce, comprising inystii'al
interpretations of Scripture, and metaphysical speculations concerning the Deity and other
bcmgb, which arc found in Jewish writings, and are bind to have been bunded down by a
secret tradition 1'iom the e.uhust ages. By considering the numeral powers of the letters
of the sacred text, and chnnging and tiansposing them in various ways, according to the
rules of then aitj the Cabbalints extracted semes from the suciod oracles, very rlillbi cut
from those which the expressions boemod natuudly to import, or which wcie even intended
by their inhpired authoia. Some learned men have imagined, that the Cabbalists aiose
soon alter the time of Ezia ; but the truth is, that no Cabbalistic writings aic extant but
what are pasteriui to the destruction of the second temple For an entertaining account
of the Cabbala, and of the Cubbahstk'al philosophy, BCU Mi. Allen's Modern Judaism,
l>p, 65 P'l.,ovDi. Eulicld's Ilktoiy of Philosophy, vol. h. pp. 190 221.
]0 On the Original Languages of bcnjmtic. LJT.UI A. ^n.
were not affixed to the text when the Talmud was composed ; because
there ave several disputes concerning the sense of passages of the law,
which could not have been controverted if the pointsjmd then been in
existence. Besides, the vowel points are ncvei mentioned, though the
fairest opportunity for noticing them offered itself, if they had really then
been in use. The compilation of the Talmud was not finished until the
7. The antient various leadings, called Ken and Ketib, or Khctibh,
(which weie collected a short time befoie the completion of the Talmud,)
relate entnely to consonants and not to vowel points , yet, if these had ex-
jsted m manuscript at the time the Ken and Khctib were collected, it is
obvious that some reference would directly or indirectly have been made to
them. The silence, therefore, of the collectors of these vaiious rcudingb
is a cleai proof of the non-existence of vowel points in their time.
8. The antient versions, for instance, the Chaldce paraphiasos of
Jonathan and Onkelos, and the Greek versions of Aquila, Synitnucluis,
and Theodotion, but especially the Septuagmt version, nil read the textj
in many passages, m senses diffei cnt from that which the points determine
them to mean. Whence it is evident, that if the points had then been
known, pointed manuscripts would have been followed as the moat cor-
rect; out as the authors of those versions did not use them', it is a plain
proof that the points were not then in being,,
9. The antient Jewish writeis themselves are totally silent concerning
the vowel points, which suiely would not have been the case if they had
been acquainted .with them. Much stiess indeed has been laid upon the
books of Zohai and Bahir, but these have been proved not to have been
known for a thousand yeais after the buth of Christ. Even Buxlorf him-
self admits, that the book Zohar could not have been wiitten till after the
tenth century ; and the rabbis Gedaliah and Zachet confess that it was not
mentioned before the yeai 1290, and that it presents internal evidence that
it is of a much later date than is pietendecl. It is no uncommon practice
of the Jews to publish books of recent date under the names of old wrilei f>,
in order to rendei their authority lespectable, and even to altci and intei-
polate antient writers in order to subserve then own views.
10. Equally silent are the antient fatheis of the Christian church, Orison
and Jerome. In some fragments still extant, of Ongen's vast biblical
work, intitled the Hexapla (of which some account is given in a subse-
quent page), we have a specimen of the mannei in which Hebrew was
pronounced in the thud century; and which, it appears, wn& widely dif-
ferent from that which results flora adopting the Masorclic reading,
Jerome also, in various parts of his works, whcie he notices the difl'erunt
pronunciations of Hebrew words, treats onlyqfthelcttcts, and nowhere
mentions the points, which he surely would have done, had they bucn
found in the copies consulted by him.
11. The letters ft, n, V ' (Aleph, He, Vau, and Yod), upon the plan of
the Masorites, are termed gmescent, because, accoiding to them, (hey
have no sound. At othei times, these same letters indic-nte a variety of
sounds, as the fancy of these critics has been pleased to distinguish lliom
by points. This single circumstance exhibits the whole doctrine of points
as the^ laseless fabric of a vision. To suppress altogether, 01 to lender
insignificant, a radical letter of any word, in order to supply itt> place by
an arbitrary dot or a fictitious mark, is an invention fraught with the
grossest absurdity. 2
1 For an account of the Talmud, sac Pmtll. Book! UiqTfl7s^i."l7 JTw/H."
2 Wilson's Elements of Hebiew Gramma j, p. 45,
I. Sect L] On tlic Hebrew Language. 1 1
12. Lastly, as facfast vestiges of the points that can be traced a^p lobe
found in the writings of Rabbi Ben Ashcr, president of the western school,
and of Rabbi Ben Naphlhah, chief of the eastern school, who flourished
about the middle of the tenth century, we are justified in assigning that as
the epoch when the system of vowel points was established.
Such are the evidences on which the majority of the learned rest
their convictions of the modern date of the Hebrew points : it now
remains, that we concisely notice the arguments adduced by the
Buxtorfs and their followers, for the antiquity of those points.
1. From the nature of all languages it is uigcd that they require vowels,
which are in a mannei the soul of words. This is icudily conceded as an
indisputable truth, but it is no proof of the antiquity of the vowel points :
for the Hebicw language always had and still has vowels, independent of
the points, without which it may be read, Origen, who tianscribed the
Hebiew Scriptures in Greek characters in his Iluxapla, did not invent
new vowels to expre&s the vowels absent in Hebicw words, neither did
Jerome, who also expic&scd many Hebiew words and pasbagcs in Latin
characters. The Samaritans, who used the same alphabet as the Hebrews,
rend without the vowel points, employing the mattes lecthnu, Aloph, He
or Hheth, Jod, Oin, and Vau (a, c, i, o, n), for vowels ; and the Hebrew
may be read in the same manner, with the assistance of these letters, by
supplying them wheic the}' arc not cxpicssed, agreeably to the modern
practice of the Jews, whose Talmud and rabbinical commentators, as well
as the copies of the law preserved in the synagogues, are to this day read
Without vowel points.
2. It is objected that the reading of Hebrew would be rendered very
uncertain and difficult without the points, after the language ceased lo bo
spoken. To this it is replied, that even after Hebiew ceased to be a
vernacular language, its tiue reading might have been continued among
learned men to whom it was. familiar, and also in their schools, which flou-
rished befoie the invention of the points. And thus daily practice in
reading, as well as a consideration of the context^ would enable them not
only to fix the meaning of doubtful words, but also to supply the vowels
which were deficient, and likewise- to tix woids to one detci minute leading.
Cappel ', and after him Mabclct' 2 , have given some general i ulus for the ap-
plication of the mutter lection is, to enable us to re-id Hcbi ew without points.
3. " Many Piotchtunt writers have been led lo support thu authority of
the points, by the supposed uncertainty of the unpointed text ; which
would oblige us to follow the direction of the church of Rome. This JT-
guinent, however, makes against those who would suppose Kxra to have
introduced the points . for in that cast 1 , from Moses to his day the text
being unpointed must have been obscure and uncertain ; and if this wore
not so, why should not the; unpointed text have remained intelligible and
unambiguous after his, time, as, it had done before it ? This argument,
moreover, giants \vhat they who use it arc not aware of: for if it bo allowed
that the unpointed text is ambiguous and uneoituin, and would oblige us
in consequence to iccur to the church of Rome, the Roman Catholics
may prove at least with every appearance of truth that it 1ms always
been unpointed, and that, tberufoie, wo must have recourse to the church
to explain it. Many writers of iliul communion have had tho candour to
acknowledge, that the unpointed Hebrew text can bo read and underload
like the Samaritan text ; for although several words in Ilebiew msiy, when
1 Ai'Lunnm Punctutionis ruvclatiun, lib, i. c. in
D Giaitiniaticn Ilebuku, vol. i, cap 1. <J iv.
12 On the Original Languages of Scripture. [Part L Ch.
separate, admit of different interpretations, the context usually fixes their
meaning with precision 1 ; or, if it ever fail to do so, and leave their mean-
in* still ambiguous, recourse may be had to the interpretations ot antient
translators or commentators. We must likewise remember, that the Ma-
sorites in affixing points to the text, did not do so according to their own
notions how it ought to be read; they followed the received reading of
their day, and thus fixed unalterably that mode of reading which was au-
thorised among them: and, therefore, though we reject these points as
their invention, and consider that they never were used by any inspired
writer, yet it by no means follows, that for the interpretation of Scripture we
must go to a supposed infallible church ; for we acknowledge the divine
original of what the points express, namely, the sentiments conveyed by
the letters and words of the sacred text." 2
4. In further proof of the supposed antiquity of vowel points, some
passages have been adduced from the Talmud, in which accents and verses
are mentioned. The fact is admitted, but it is no proof of the existence
of points ; neither is mention of certain words in the Masoretic notes, as
being irregularly punctuated, any evidence of their existence or antiquity :
for the Masora was not finished by one author, nor in one century, but
that system of annotation was commenced and prosecuted by various
Hebrew critics through several ages. Hence it happened that the latter
Masorites, having detected mistakes in their predecessors (who had
adopted the mode of pronouncing and reading used in their day), were
unwilling to alter such mistakes, but contented themselves with noting
particular words as having been irregularly and improperly pointed.
These notes, therefore, furnish no evidence of the existence of points be-
fore the time of the first compilers of the Masora. a
The preceding are the chief arguments usually urged for and
against the vowel points : and from an impartial consideration of
them, the reader will be enabled to judge for himself. The weight
of evidence, we apprehend, will be found to determine against them :
nevertheless, " the points seem to have their uses, and these not in-
considerable ; and to have this use among others that, as many of
the Hebrew letters have been corrupted since the invention of the
points, and as the points subjoined originally to the true letters have
been in many of these places regularly preserved, these points will
frequently concur in proving the truth of such corruptions, and will
point out the method of correcting them." 4
A Bibliographical Account of the principal editions of the He-
brew Bible will be found in the Appendix to this volume, pp.4 10.,
and of- the principal Hebrew Grammars and Lexicons^ both with and
without points, in pp. 158 167.
1 Thus the English verb to skin has two opposite meanings ; but the context will
always determine which it bears in any passage where it occurs.
2 Hamilton's Introd. to the Study of the Hebrew Scriptures, pp. 44, 45,
a Walton Prol.iii. 3856. (pp. 125170.) Carpzov, Crit. Sacr, Vet. Te&t parti.
c. v. sect. vii. pp. 242274, Pfeiffer, Critica Sacra, cap.iv. sect, ii, (Op. pp.704 71]
jewel's Institutes, pp. 3238. Jahn, Introd. ad Vet. Fcedus, pp. 129131. Bauer.
Ctatfcs Sacra, pp. 728 141. Prideaux's Connection, vol. i. parti, book 5. pu,<M7
38!. &b edition. Bishop Marsh (Lectures, partii. pp. 136 HO.) has enumerated the
principal Realises for and against the vowel points; some of which are also specified in
pp. 157, 18. of the Appendix to this volume.
4 Dr. Kennicott, Dissertation i. on Hebrew Text, p. 345,
I. Sect II.] On tlie Greek Language. 13
SECTION II.
ON THE GREEK LANGUAGE,
I. Similarity of the Greek Language of the Netu Testament with that of
the Alexandrian or Septuagint Greek Version. II. The Netu Testa-
ment why written in, Greek. III. Examination of its Style. IV. Its
Dialects Hebraisms Rabbinisms Aramteisms Latinisms Per-
sisms and Cilicisms.
I. SIMILARITY OF THE GREEK LANGUAGE OF THE NEW TESTA-
MENT WITH THAT OF THE ALEXANDRIAN Oil SEPTUAGINT GREEK
VERSION.
If a knowledge of Hebrew be necessary and clesirable s in order to
understand the Old Testament aright, an acquaintance with the Greek
language is of equal importance for understanding the New Testa-
ment correctly. It is in this language that the Septuagint version
of the Old Testament was executed : and as the inspired writers of
the New Testament thought and spoke in the Chaldee or Syriac
tongues, whose turns of expression closely corresponded with those
of the antient Hebrew, the language of the apostles and evangelists,
when they wrote in Greek, necessarily resembled that of the trans-
lators of the Septuagint. And as every Jew, who read Greek at all,
would read the Greek Bible, the style of the Septuagint again oper-
ated in forming the style of the Greek Testament. * The Septua-
gint version, therefore, being a new source of interpretation equally
important to the Old and New Testament, a knowledge of the Greek
language becomes indispensably necessary to the biblical stadent.
II. A variety of solutions has been given to the question, WHY THE
NEW TESTAMENT WAS WRITTEN IN GREEK.
The true reason is simply this, that it was the language best
understood both by writers and readers, being spoken and written,
read and understood, throughout the Roman empire, and particu-
larly in the eastern provinces. In fact, Greek was at that time as
well known in the higher and middle circles as the French is in our
day. To the universality of the Greek language, Cicero a , Seneca 3 ,
and Juvenal 4 bear ample testimony : and the circumstances of the
Jews having had both political, civil, and commercial relations with
the Greeks, and being dispersed through various parts of the Roman
empire, as well as their having cultivated the philosophy of the
1 Bishop Marsh's Lectures, part iii, pp. SO, 31. The question relative to the supposed
Hebrew originals of Saint Matthew's Gospel, and of the Epistle to the Hebrews, is
purposely omitted in this place, as it is considered in the subsequent part of this work,
3 Orat, pro Arohia Poeta, c. 10. Gncca legunttir in omnibus fere gentibus , Latnia
suis finibus, cxiguis sane, contincntur. Julius Caesar attests the prevalence of the Greek
language in Gaul. De Bell. Gall. lib. i. c. 29. lib. vi. c. 14. (vol. i, pp. 3. 16 J. edit.
Bipont.)
s In consolat. ad Helviam, c. 6. Quid sibi volant in mediis barbarorum regionibus
Grweai yrbcs ? Quid inter Indos Persa&quc Macedonians scrmo ? Scythia et totus ille
ferarutn indomitarumqiie gentium tractus civitates A chaise, Ponticis impositas litoribus,
oslentnt.
* Nunc totus Graias nostrasquc Imbot orbis Athcnus, Sat. xv, v. 110. Even the fe-
male sex, it appears from the same satirist, made use of Greek as the language of fami-
liarity and passion. See Sat. vi* u 185191.
14 On the Original Languages of Scripture. [Part I, Ch.
Greeks, of which we have evidence in the New Testament, all suf-
ficiently account for their being acquainted with the Greek language :
-to which we may add the fact, that the Septuagint Greek version of
the Old Testament had been in use among the Jews upwards of two
hundred and eighty years before the Christian aera : which most as-
suredly would not have been the case if the language had not been
familiar to them. And if the eminent Jewish writers, Philo and Jo-
sephus, had motives for preferring to write in Greek (and the very
fact of their writing in Greek proves that that language wus vernacular
to their countrymen), there is no reason at least there is no general
presumption why the first publishers of the Gospel might not use
the Greek language, l But we need not rest on probabilities. For,
1. It is manifest from various passages in the first book of Mac-
cabees, that the Jews of all classes must at that time (n. c, 175 MO)
have understood the language of their conquerors and oppressors',
the Macedonian Greeks under Antiochus, falsely named the Great,
and his successors.
2, Further, when the Macedonians obtained the dominion of
western Asia, they filled that country with Greek cities. The Greeks
also possessed themselves of many cities in Palestine, to which the
Herods added many others, which were also inhabited by Greeks.
Herod the Great, in particular made continual efforts to' give a fo-
reign physiognomy to Judaea ; which country, during the personal mi-
nistry of Jesus Christ, was thus invaded on every side by a Greek popu-
lation. The following particulars will confirm and illustrate this fact.
Aristobulus and Alexander built or restored many cities, which
were almost entirely occupied by Greeks, or by Syrians who spoke
their language. Some of the cities, indeed, which were rebuilt by
the Asmoneean kings, or by the command of Ponipey, were on the
frontiers of Palestine, but a great number of them were in the in-
terior of that country: and concerning these cities we have historical
data which demonstrate that they were very nearly, if not altogether,
Greek. Thus, at Dora, a city of Galilee, the inhabitants refused to
the Jews the right of citizenship which had been granted to them by
Claudius.* Josephus expressly says that Gadara and Hippos art*
Greek cities^ kx\yvtie$ eio-i TroAe^. In the very centre of Ptilastinc
stood Bethshan, which place its Greek inhabitants called foythopolisS
Josephus 5 testifies that Gaza, in the southern part of Jiulaa, was
Greek : and Joppa, the importance of whose harbour induced the
kings of Egypt and Syria successively Jo take it from the Jews ,
' Josephus, de Bell. Jud. Proem, 2. says, "that lie"coinjposod his history of the Jwiflh
war m the language of his country, and afterwards wrote it in Greek for the* iiifiiriiiution
of the Greeks and Romans. The'reader will find a grot number of additional tt'htiuio*
v i r^T f f r the r G T k T 1 ? n 6 u ?ge in the cast, in AntouU Jose-phi liintmm
Epistola Catholica Interlmeahs de Lmgud Originali Novi Twrtameuti mm Utinu &c
P F**Tv i 1 9S ' . Dusseldor P"> I8 -'- ^ b necessary to apprise the reader, that the dtMhtn
of to volume is to support the absurd popish dogma, that the reading of tlu> Holy
fenptuns, * n e vulgar tongue, ought not to fa promiscuously allowed.
4 SJ&TT t nt ' ^* ]i - b> XI ' X< C> ' 5 " 3 Anti Jud ' lib - xvi - c. 1 1. J 4.
* M^niiXit, Judges). 27. (Septuagint Version,) PoJyhius, lib, v. c, 70. 4,
* Josefs, Ant. Jud. lib. xvii, c. 11. 4 *
'
T A -.-. .,. iK. 11. xiv, 34. 2 Mac*
Josephus, Am, Jud, lib- xiii, c, 9. 2 , and hb. xiv. c. 10* QZ
I. Sect II.] On the Greek Language. 15
most certainly could not remain a stranger to the same influence.
Under the reign of Herod the Great, Palestine became still more
decidedly Greek. That prince and his sons erected several cities in
honour of the Caesars. The most remarkable of all these, Caesarea,
(which was the second city in his kingdom,) was chiefly peopled by
Greeks l ; who after Herod's death, under the protection of Nero,
expelled the Jews who dwelt there with them. 2 The Jews revenged
the affront, which they had received at Caesarea, on Gadara, Hippos,
Scythopolis, Askalon, and Gaza, a further proof that the Greeks
inhabited those cities jointly with the Jews. 3 After the death of
Pompey, the Greeks being liberated from all the restraints which
had been imposed on them, made great progress in Palestine under
the protection of Herod ; who by no means concealed his partiality
for them 4 , and lavished immense sums of money for the express
purpose of naturalising their language and manners among the Jews.
With this view he built a theatre and amphitheatre at Csesarea 5 ; at
Jericho an amphitheatre, and a stadium 6 ; he erected similar edifices
at the very gates of the holy city, Jerusalem, and he even proceeded
to build a theatre within its walls. 7
3. The Roman government was rather favourable than adverse to
the extension of the Greek language in Palestine, in consequence of
Greek being the official language of the procurators of that country,
when administering justice, and speaking to the people.
Under the earlier emperors, the Romans were accustomed fre-
quently to make use of Greek, even at Rome, when the affairs of the
provinces were under consideration. 8 If Greek were thus used at
Rome, we may reasonably conclude that it would be still more fre-
quently spoken in Greece and in Asia. In Palestine, in particular,
we do not perceive any vestige of the official use of the Latin lan-
guage by the procurators. We do not find a single instance, either
in the books of the New Testament or in Josephus, in which the Ro-
man governors made use of interpreters: and while use and the affairs
of life accustomed the common people to that language, the higher
classes of society would on many accounts be obliged to make use of it.
4. So far were the religious authorities of the Jews from opposing
the introduction of Greek, that they appear rather to have favoured
the use of that language.
They employed it, habitually, in profane works, and admitted it
into official acts. Au article of the Mischua prohibits the Jews from
writing books in any other language, except the Greek. rj Such a
1 Josephus, do Boll, Jud. lib. iii, c. 9. compared with lib. ii. c. 13. 7.
Q Bell. Jud. lib, ii. c. 14. $4- 3 Ibid. lib. ii. c, 18,
4 Josephus, Ant, Jud. lib. xix. c. 7* 5.
5 Idem. lib. xv. c, 9. compared with lib. xvi. c. 5.
6 Bell. Jud, lib. i. c, 33. G. 8. Ant. Jud. lib. xvii< c. 6.
7 Bell. Jud, lib. i. c. 9, s. 3. Ant. Jud. lib. xv. c. 8. Bcarpov "Sepoffo^vfjiois
MKoftQpnffGv. Compare TCiehhorn dc Judacorum Re Scenica in Comment, Soc. Keg.
Scient. Getting. Vol. II. Class. Antiq. pp. 1013.
B This will account for the Jewish king, Herod Agrippa, and his brother being per-
mitted by the emperor Claudius to be present in the senate, and to address that assembly
in Greek. Dion, Hist, lib. Jx, c, 8,
Mfechna, Tract* Megill, c, 1, 8t
1 s On the Original Languages of Scripture. [Part J. Ch.
prohibition would not have been given if they had ^ not been accus-
tomed to write in a foreign language. The act or instrument of di-
vorce might 3 indifferently, be written and signed in Greek or Hebrew :
in either language, and with either subscription, it was valid. 1 During
the siege of Jerusalem, for the first time, some opposition was made
to the use of the Greek language,, when brides were forbidden to
wear a nuptial crown, at the same time that fathers were commanded
to prevent their children thenceforward from learning Greek.'" 2 This
circumstance will enable us readily to understand why Josephus,
when sent by Titus to address his besieged countrymen, spoke to
them ij3paiwv> that is, in the Hebrew dialect, and T*J wotTg/ot) yAoo-o-*), in
his native tongue^: it was not that he might be better heard, but
that he might make himself known to them as their fellow-country-
man and brother.
5. The Greek language was spread through various classes of the
Jewish nation by usage and the intercourse of life. The people, with
but few exceptions, generally understood it, although they continued
to be always more attached to their native tongue. There were at
Jerusalem religious communities wholly composed of Jews who spoke
Greek; and of these Jews, as well as of Greek proselytes, the Chris*
tian church at Jerusalem appears in the first instance to have been
formed. An examination of the Acts of the Apostles will prove these
assertions. Thus, in Acts xxi. 40. and xxii. 2. when Paul, aftor n
tumult, addressed the populace in Hebrew, they kept the wore silence.
They, therefore, evidently expected that he would have spoken to
them in another language, which they would have comprehended 4 ,
though they heard him much better in Hebrew, which they pre-
ferred. In Acts vi. 9, and ix. 29. we read that there were at Jerusalem
whole synagogues of Hellenist Jews, under the name of Cy remans,
Alexandrians, &c. And in Acts vi. 1. we find that these very Hel-
lenists formed a considerable portion of the church in that city. *
From the account given in John xii. 20. of certain Greeks, (whether
they were Hellenistic Jews or Greek proselytes, it is not material to
determine,) who through the apostle Philip requested an interview
with Jesus, it may fairly be inferred that both Philip and Andrew
understood Greek. 6
6. Further, there are extant Greek monuments, containing epi-
1 If the book of divorce bo written in Hebrew, and the names of the witness in Greek
or vice versa, or the name of one witness be in Hebrew and the other in Grwk ~ If ,i
scnbe and witness wrote it, it is kwful.- Ibid. Tract. Gitin. c, D. 8 Uluk '"" lf tt
2 Ibid. Tract. Sotah. c. 9. 14. *
s Bell. Jud. lib. v. c. 9. 2. lib. vi, c. 2. 1.
4 In like manner, it is well known, there are many hundred thousand natives of In-
* nn6 * ntro . duction Critl > e auNouveau Testament, par J. E.
I823< 8v - Dr< Wait>s Translation 0(
' PP' 74 ~79- After, Imtit. Hcmenwfc Nov. Test.
I, Sect. II. J On the Greek Language. 1 7 *
taphs and inscriptions which were erected in Palestine and the neigh-
bouring countries \ as well as antient coins which were struck in the
cities of Palestine, and also in the various cities of Asia Minor. a
What purpose could it answer, to erect the one or to execute the
other, in the Greek language, if that language had not been familiar
indeed vernacular to the inhabitants of Palestine and the neigh-
bouring countries ? There is, then, every reasonable evidence,
amounting to demonstration, that Greek did prevail universally
throughout the Roman empire; and that the common people of
Judaea were acquainted with it, and understood it.
Convincing as we apprehend the preceding facts and evidence will
be found to the unprejudiced inquirer, two or three objections have
been raised against them, which it may not be irrelevant here briefly
to notice.
1. It is objected that, during the siege of Jerusalem, when Titus
granted a truce to the factious Jews just before he commenced his
last assault, he advanced towards them accompanied by an inter-
preter 3 : but the Jewish historian, Josephus, evidently means that the
Roman general, confident of victory, from a sense of dignity, spoke
first, and in his own maternal language, which we know was Latin.
The interpreter, therefore, did not attend him in order to translate
Greek words into Hebrew, but for the purpose of rendering into
Hebrew or Greek the discourse which Titus pronounced in Latin.
2. It has also been urged as a strong objection to the Greek ori-
ginal of the gospels, that Jesus Christ spoke in Hebrew ; because
Hebrew words occur in Mark v. 41. (Talitha cumi}\ vii. 34-. (ph-
phatha); Matt, xxvii. 46. (EU 9 Eli ! Lama sabachthani} 9 and Mark
xv. 34. But to this affirmation we may reply, that on this occasion
the evangelists have noticed and transcribed these expressions in the
original, because Jesus did not ordinarily and habitually speak
Hebrew. But admitting it to be more probable, that the Redeemer
did ordinarily speak Hebrew to the Jews, who were most partial to
their native tongue, which they heard him speak with delight 9 we
may ask in what language but Greek did he address the multi-
tudes, when they were composed of a mixture of persons of different
countries and nations proselytes to the Jewish religion, as well as
heathen Gentiles ? For instance, the Gadarenes (Matt viii. 28 4.
Mark v. 1. Luke viii. 26.) ; the inhabitants of the borders of Tyre
and Sidon (Mark vii. 24.) ; the inhabitants of the Decapolis , the
Syrophcenician woman, who is expressly termed a Greek 9 ij yuv>j
'EAAyjvjc, in Mark vii. 26. ; and the Greeks, 'EAA^vs^, who were de-
sirous of seeing Jesus at the passover. (John xii. 20.) 4
3. Lastly, it has been objected, that, as the Christian churches
were in many countries composed chiefly of the common people,
they did not and could not understand Greek. But not to insist on
1 Antonu Jos, Binterim, Propcmplicurn ad Molfcenbuhrii Problema Criticum,
Sacra Scriptura Novi Testament! in quo idiomate onginalitcr ab apostolis edita fuit?
pp. 27 40. (Moguntiaa, 1822. 8vo,)
3 Ibid. pp. 4044.
3 Josephus, de Bell. Jud. lib. vi. c,6. * Ccll^rier. Essai, p. 249- Hug, vol. ii. p. 54,
VOL , IT. C
18 On the Original Languages of Scripture. [Part I. Ch.
the evidence already adduced for the universality of the Greek lan-
guage, we may reply, that " in every church there were numbers of
persons endowed with the gifts of tongues, and of the interpretation of
tongues ; who could readily turn the apostles' Greek epistles into
the language of the church to which they were sent. In particular,
the president, or the spiritual man, who read the apostle's Greek
letter to the Hebrews in their public assemblies, could, without
any hesitation, read it in the Hebrew language, for the edification
of those who did not understand Greek. And with respect to the
Jews in the provinces, Greek being the native language of most of
them, this epistle was much better calculated for their use, written
in the Greek language, than if it had been written in the Hebrew,
which few of them understood." Further, " it was proper that all
the apostolical epistles should be written in the Greek language ;
because the different doctrines of the Gospel being delivered and
explained in them, the explanation of these doctrines could with
more advantage, be compared so as to be better understood, being
expressed in one language, than if, in the different epistles, they had
been expressed in the language of the churches and persons to
whom they were sent. Now, what should that one language be, in
which it was proper to write the Christian Revelation, but the Greek,
which was then generally understood, and in which there were many
books extant, that treated of all kinds of literature, and on that
account were likely to be preserved, and by the reading of which
Christians, in after ages, would be enabled to understand the Greek
of the New Testament? This advantage none of the provincial
dialects used in the apostles' days could pretend to. Being limited
to particular countries, they were soon to be disused : and few (if any)
books being written in them which merited to be preserved, the
meaning of such of the apostles' letters as were composed in the
provincial languages could not easily have been ascertained." 1
III. EXAMINATION OF THE STYLE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
The style of the New Testament has a considerable affinity with
that of the Septuagint version, which was executed at Alexandria 2 ,
although it approaches somewhat nearer to the idiom of the Greek
language ; but the peculiarities of the Hebrew phraseology are dis-
cernible throughout, the language of the New Testament being formed
by a mixture of oriental idioms and expressions with those which are
properly Greek. Hence it has by some philologers been termed
Hebraic-Greek^ and (from the Jews having acquired the Greek lan-
guage, rather by practice than by grammar, among the Greeks, in
whose countries they resided in large communities) Hellenistic-Greek*
The propriety of this appellation was severely contested towards the
close of the seventeenth and in the early part of the eighteenth cen-*
i Dr. Macknight on the Epistles, Pref. to Hebrews, sect.ii. 3. vol.iv. p.336. 4to. edit.
% Michaelis has devoted an entire section to show that the language of the New Testa-
ment lias a tincture of the Alexandrian idiom. Vol. i. pp. 143, et seq. Professor Winer
has given an interesting historical sketch of the Greek Language of the New Testament,
in his Greek Grammar of the New Testament, translated by Professor Stuart and Mr.
Roblnson> pp, 12 35i Andover [North America], 1825, Svo,
I. Sect, IL] On the Greek Language. 1
tury 1 : and numerous publications were written on both sides of the
question, with considerable asperity, which, together with the con-
1 The "controversy on this topic began, very soon after the revival of literature in
Europe. In the sixteenth century, Erasmus and Laurentius Valla ventured to assert
publicly, that ^the Greek of the New Testament is Hellenistic. Many learned men of
that day were inclined to adopt this opinion. But Robert Stephens, in the preface to his
celebrated edition of the New Testament (1576), took it into his head strenuously to
contend for the Attic purity of its dialect. As his Testament was so widely circulated,
the preface served to excite general attention to the subject in question, and to prepare the
minds of critics for the mighty contest which followed. Sebastian Pforscher led the -way,
in his Dialribe de Ling. Greec. N. Tesl. puritate, published in 1629, at Amsterdam; in
which he defends, with great warmth, the purity of the New .Testament Greek. His an-
tagonist was J. Jung, who published in 1640 his Sentential doctissvirorum, de Hellenistis et
Hellenistica Dialecto. To this a icply was made, by J. Grosse of Jena, styled Trias pro-
positionum theol. stilum Nov. Test- a barlans criminationibus vindicantium ,- in which the
whole mass of Hellenists were consigned over to the most detestable heresy. In the same
year, Wulfer wrote an answer to this in his Innocentia Hellenistarum vindicata; to which
Grosse replied, in his Obseruation.es pro triads Observatt. apologeticcs. Muss&us defended
Wulfor (though not in all his positions) in his Disauisitio de stilo NOD. Testament^ A. D.
16-11; to which Grosse replied by a Tertia defensio Triados, 16-41. In 1642, MUSJEUS
fult himself compelled to publish his Vindicice Disyumtiojiis s which however only excited
Grosse to a Quarta defensio Triados.
" About the same time, the controversy was briskly carried on in Holland. D. Hein-
sius, in his Aristarchus Sacer t and his Exercitt. sac. in Nov. Testamentum, had espoused
the cause of Hellenism, and commented upon Pforscher's Diatribe. In a plainer manner
still did he do this, in his Exercitatio de Lingua Hellenistica, published in 1643, In the
very same year, the celebrated Salmasius appeared as his antagoin&t, in three separate
publications, the spirit and tone of which may be readily discerned from their titles. The
first was inscribed Connnentarius controversiam de lingua Hellenistica decidens; the second,
Funus lingua Hellenistic^ / the third, Ossilegium linguae Hellenisticee. In 1648, Ga-
taker, in England, warmly espoused the cause of the Hellenists, in his Dissert, de stilo
Nov. Testamenti. On the same side, about this time, appeared Werenfels, of Switzerland,
in his essay De stylo Script. Nov. Testamenti ; and J. Olearius, of Germany, in his book
De stUo Nov. Testamenti; also Bbckler, in his Tract, De ling. Nov. Test, originali. In
Holland, Vorstius published, in defence of the same side, his book De ffebraismis Nov.
Testamenti, 1658 ; and in 1665, his Comment, de ffebraismis, N. Test. The last was attack-
ed by H. Vhringa, inhis Specimen ahnotatf, ad Philul. Sac. Vorstii. The best of these dis-
sertations were collected and published by Rhenferd in his Syntagma Diss* PhUol* Theol,
de Stilo Nov. Test. 1703 ; and also by Van Honert, about the same time, at Amsterdam.
" J. H. Michaelis, in his essay De tcxlu Nov. Test. Halae, 1707, and H. Blackwall in
his Sacred Classics illustrated and defended, endeavoured to moderate the parties, and to
show, that while it might safely be admitted that there aro Hebraisms in the New Testa-
ment, it may at the same time be mintained, that the Greek of the sacred writers is
entitled to the character of classic purity. But all efforts at peace were defeated by
Gcorgi of Wittemberg, who, in 1732, published his Vindiciez Nov. Test. This was an-
swered by Knapp and Dressing of Leipsic. In 1733, Georgi published his Sierocn^
ticus Sacer, in three books; -and at the end of the year, a second part, in as many more
books ; which were also answered by his Leipsic opponents. From this time, the cause
of the Hellenists began to predominate throughout Europe. And though many essays on
this subject have since appeared, and it has been canvassed in a far more able manner than "
before, yet few of these essays have been controversial ; almost all writers leaning to the
side of Hellenism." Dissertations on the Importance and best Method of studying the
Original Languages of the Bible, by Jahn and others, with Notes by Prof. Stuart, (An-
dover, N. America, 18SU,) pp. 77, 78. Tha reader, who is desirous of investigating the
controversy on the purity of the language of the New Testament, is referred to the
Acroases Academics super Hermeneulica Novi Testamenti of Prof. Morus (vol. i.
pp, 202 233.) ; in whicli he has enumerated the principal writers on each side of the
question. A similar list has been given by Beck ( Monogrammata Hermeneutices Novi
Testamenti, parti, pp. 28 32.), by liumpams (Isagoge ad Lectionem N. T* pp. 33- el
seq.} and by Rambach. (Instit. Herm. Sacree, pp.23. 399.) Dr. Campbell has treated
the subject very ably in the first of his Preliminary Dissertations, prefixed to his version
of the four Gospels; and Wotstein (Libelli ad Crisin atque Interpretation cm N. T.
pp.48 60.) has given some interesting extracts from Origen, Chrysostom, and other
fathers, who were of opinion that the language of the New Testament was not pure
Greek. Other writers might be mentioned, who have treated bibliographically on this
G 2
20 On the Original Languages of Scripture. [Part I. Ch.
troversy, are now almost forgotten. The dispute, however interest-
ing to the philological antiquarian 3 is, after all, a mere " strife of
words 1 ;" and as the appellation of Hellenistic or Hebraic Greek
is sufficiently correct for the purpose of characterising the language
of the New Testament, it is now generally adopted.
Of this Hebraic style, the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark
exhibit strong vestiges : the former presents harsher Hebraisms than
the latter: and the Gospel of St. Mark abounds with still more
striidng Hebraisms. " The epistles of St. James and Jude are some-
what better, but even these are full of Hebraisms, and betray in
other respects a certain Hebrew tone. St. Luke has, in several pas-
sages, written pure and classic Greek, of which the four first verses
of his Gospel may be given as an instance : in the sequel, where he
describes the actions of Christ, he has very harsh Hebraisms, yet
the style is more agreeable than that of St. Matthew or St. Mark.
In the Acts of the Apostles he is not free from Hebraisms, which he
seems to have never studiously avoided; but his periods are more
classically turned, and sometimes possess beauty devoid of art. St.
John has numerous, though not uncouth, Hebraisms both in his
Gospel and epistles: but he has written in a smooth and flowing lan-
guage, and surpasses all the Jewish writers in the excellence of nar-
rative, St. Paul again is entirely different from them all: his style
is indeed neglected and full of Hebraisms, but he has avoided the
concise and verse-like construction of the Hebrew language, and has,
upon the whole, a considerable share of the roundness of Grecian
composition. It is evident that he was as perfectly acquainted with
the Greek manner of expression as with the Hebrew ; and he has
introduced them alternately, as either the one or the other suggested
itself the first, or was the best approved." 3
This diversity of style and idiom in the sacred writers of the
New Testament affords an intrinsic and irresistible evidence for
the^ authenticity of the books which pass under their names. If
their style had been uniformly the same, there would be good rea-
son for suspecting that they had all combined together when they
wrote; or, else, that having previously concerted what they should
teach, one of them had committed to writing their system of doc-
trine. In ordinary cases, when there is" a difference of style in a
work professing to be the production of one author, we have reason
to believe that it was written by several persons. In like manner,
and for the very same reason, when books, which pass under the
names of several authors, are written in different styles, we are au-
thorised to conclude that they were not composed by one person.
topic : but the preceding foreign critics only are speciEed, as their works mav be easily
procured from the Continent. *
KMichaelis ascribes the disputes above noticed either to a want of sufficient know^
ledge of the Greek, the prejudices of pedantry and school orthodoxy, or the injudicious
custom of choosing the Greek Testament as the>rt book to be read by learners of that
Wl Dg ^lJ + r ^ anS ?! ey are S accustol " ed to its singular style, that in a more
tf f&f M^ JFlr'T^ 6 f P crccivin S ics Aviation from the language of the clas-
sics. f!3p ; Marsh s Michaehs, vol. i, p. 211.)
^ Michaelis, vol. i p. 112.
I. Sect. II.] On the Greek Language. 21
Further, If the New Testament had been written with classic
purity i if it had presented to us the language of Isocrates, Demos-
thenes, Xenophon, or Plutarch, there would have been just grounds
for suspicion of forgery ; and it might with propriety have been
objected, that it was impossible for Hebrews, who professed to be
men of no learning, to have written in so pure and excellent a style,
and, consequently, that the books which were ascribed to them must
have been the invention of some impostor. The diversity of style,
therefore, which is observable in them, so far from being any ob-
jection to the authenticity of the New Testament, is in reality a
strong argument for the truth and sincerity of the sacred writers,
and of the authenticity of their writings. "Very many of the Greek
words, found in the New Testament, are not such as were adopted
by men of education^ and the higher and more polished ranks of
life, but such as were in use with the common people. N.ow this
shows that the writers became acquainted with the language, in con-
sequence of an actual intercourse with those who spoke it, rather
than from any study of books: and that intercourse must have
been very much confined to the middling or even lower classes ;
since the words and phrases, most frequently used by them, passed
current only among the vulgar. There are undoubtedly many
plain intimations l given throughout these books, that their writers
were of this lower class, and that their associates were frequently
of the same description ; but the character of the style is the strongest
confirmation possible that their conditions were not higher than
what they have ascribed to themselves." 2 lu fact, the vulgarisms,
foreign idioms, and other disadvantages and defects, which some
critics imagine that they have discovered in the Hebraic Greek of the
New Testament, " are assigned by the inspired writers as the reasons
of God's preference of it, whose thoughts are not our thoughts, nor
his ways our ways. Paul argues, that the success of tlie preachers of
the Gospel, in spite of the absence of those accomplishments in lan-
guage, then so highly valued, was an evidence of the divine power
and energy with which their ministry was accompanied. He did
not address them, he tells us (1 Cor. i. 17.) with the 'wisdom qfwwds,
with artificial periods and a studied elocution, lest the cross of
Christ should be made of none effect; lest to human eloquence that
success should be ascribed, which ought to be attributed to the
divinity of the doctrine and the agency of the Spirit, in the miracles
wrought in support of it. There is hardly any sentiment which he
is at greater pains to enforce. He used none of the enticing or per-
suasive words of man's wisdom* Wherefore ? 6 That their faith
1 It is obvious to cite such passages, as Mark i. 16. ii. 14. Jolmxxi. 3. 7. .where tha
occupations of the Apostles arc plainly and professedly mentioned. It may be more
satisfactory to refer to Actsiii. 6, xviii. 3* xx. 34, 2 Cor* viii. and ixt xi. 6. S, 9. 27, xii.
14, &c. l j hil. ii. 25, iv. 10, &c. 1 Thcss. ii, 6. 9. 2 Thess, xii. 8. 10. Plnlcm. 11. 18. In
these, the attainments, occupations, and associates of the preachers of the Gospel are
indirectly mentioned and alluded to ; and afford a species of undesigned proof, which
seems to repel the imputation of fraud, especially if the circumstance of style be taken
into the account.
a Dr. Maltby's II luxations of the Truth of the Christian llcligion," pp. 10 -12,
c 3
22 On the Original Languages of Scripture. [Part I. Ch.
might not stand in tlie wisdom of * man, but in tlie power of God.'
(1 Cor. ii. 4, 5.) Should I ask what was the reason why our Lord
Jesus Christ chose for the instruments of that most amazing revolu-
tion in the religious systems of mankind, men perfectly illiterate and
taken out of the lowest class of the people ? Your answer to this
will serve equally for an answer to that other question, Why did
the Holy Spirit choose to deliver such important truths in the bar-
barous idiom of a few obscure Galileans, and not in the politer and
more harmonious strains of Grecian eloquence ? I repeat it, the an-
swer to both questions is the same That it might appear, beyond con-
tradiction, that the excellency of the power was of God, and not of man*" 1
A large proportion, however, of the phrases and constructions of
the New Testament is pure Greek ; that is to say, of the same de-
gree of purity as the Greek which was spoken in Macedonia, and
that in which Polybius wrote his Roman History. Hence the lan-
faage of the New Testament will derive considerable illustration
om consulting the works of classic writers, and especially from
diligently collating the Septuagint version of the Old Testament :
the collections also of Raphelius, Palairet, Bos, Abresch, Ernesti,
and other writers whose works are noticed in the Appendix to this
volume, will afford the biblical student very essential assistance in
explaining the pure Greek expressions of the New Testament ac-
cording to the usage of classic authors. It should further be noticed,
that there occur in the New Testament words that express both
doctrines and practices which were utterly unknown to the Greeks ;
and also words bearing widely different interpretation from those
which are ordinarily found in Greek writers.
IV. The New Testament contains examples of the various DIA-
LECTS occurring in the Greek language, and especially of the Attic ;
which being most generally in use on account of its elegance, per-
vades every book of the New Testament. To these, "some have
added the poetic dialect, chiefly, it should seem, because there arc a
.few passages cited by St. Paul from the antient Greek poets, in Acts
xvn. 28. 1 Cor. xv. 33. and Titi.12. 3 But the sacred writers of
the New Testament being Jews, were consequently acquainted with
the Hebrew idioms, and also with the common as well as with the ap-
propriated or acquired senses of the words of that language. Hence
when they used a Greek word, as correspondent to a Hebrew one
ot like signification, they employed it as the Hebrew word was used
either m a common or appropriated sense, as occasion required.
1 he whole arrangement of their periods is regulated according to
the Hebrew verses (not those in Hebrew poetry, but such as are
found in the historical books); which are constructed in a manner
directly opposite to the roundness of Grecian language, and for want
5 ft (0.Tp. 652*7 Li " ee Hormenc " tica! > P- W- Haflbr Hcnn. Sacra, c. vii.
I. Sect. II.] Hebraisms oftJie New Testament. 23
of variety have an endless repetition of the same particles." l These
peculiar idioms are termed Hebraisms^ and their nature and classes
have been treated at considerable length by various writers. Georgi,
Pfochenius, Blackwall, and others, have altogether denied the ex-
istence of these Hebraisms ; while their antagonists have 3 perhaps
unnecessarily, multiplied them. Wyssius, in his Dialectologia
Sacra, has divided the Hebraisms of the New Testament into thir-
teen classes ; Vorstius 2 into thirty-one classes ; and Viser into eight
classes 3 ; and Masclef has given an ample collection of the Hebra-
isms occurring in the sacred writings in the first volume of his
excellent Hebrew Grammar. 4 The New Testament, however,
contains fewer Hebrew grammatical constructions than the Sep-
tuagint, except in the book of Revelation ; where we often find a
nominative, when another case should have been substituted, - in
imitation of the Hebrew, which is without cases. 5 As the limits
necessarily assigned to this section do not permit us to abridge the
valuable treatises just noticed, we shall here adduce some instances
of the Hebraisms found principally in the New Testament, and shall
offer a few canons by which to determine them with precision.
L Thus, to be called^ to arise, and to lefound> are the same as to be, with
the Hebrews, and this latter is in the Old Testament frequently expressed
by the former. Compare Isa. Ix. 14. 18. Ixi. 3. Ixii. 12. Zech. viii. 3.
Accordingly, in the New Testament, these terras are often employed one for the other,
as in Matt. v. 9. They shall be called the children of God .- and ver. 3 9. He shall be called
the least iti I fie kingdom of Heaven / 1 John iii. 1 , That lue should be called the sons of God.
To be called here and in other places is really to be, and it is so expressed according to
the Hebrew -way of speaking. There is the like signification of the word arise, as in
2 Sam. xi. 20. if the king's wrath arise. Esth. iv. 14. Enlargement and deliverance shall
arise to the Jews. Prov. xxiv. 22, their calamity shall arise suddenly* In all which places
the word arise signifies no other than actual being of existing, according to the Hebrew idiom.
And hence it is used in a similar manner in the New Testament, as in Luke* 1 xxiv, 38.
Why do thoughts arise in your hearts ? i. c. Why are they there ? Matt. xxiv. 24. There
shall arise false Christ s, i. c. there shall actually be at that time such persons according to
my piedictiou. So, to be found is among the Hebrews of the same import with the above^
mentioned expressions, and accordingly in the Old Testament one is put for the other, as in
1 Sam. xxv. 28. Evil hath not been found in thce. 2 Chron. six. 3. Good things are found
i)i thco* Isa, li. 0. Joy and gladness shall ba found therein' Dan. v. 12. An excellent
spirit was found in Daniel. In these and other texts the Hebrew word rendered/ou/zcf is
equivalent to was. In imitation of this Hebraism, to be found is used for sum or existo,
to be, iu the New Testament, as in Luke xvii. IS, There are not found that returned to
give glory to God, saw this stranger. Acts v. 39. Lest haply ye bo found to Jtght against
God. 1 Cor. iv. 2. That a man be found faitJiful. Phil. ii. 8. Being found in fashion
as a man, Hob. xi. .5. JSmch was not found .- which is the same with Enoch was not, as
is evident from comparing this place with Gen. v, 24, to which it refers. The expression
of St. Peter, 1 Ep. ii, '22, Ntilhcr wax git Me found in his mouth, is taken from Isa. liii. 9.
Neither was there any deceit (or guile) in, his mouth. Whence it appears, that in this, as
well as the other texts above cited, to be found is equivalent to was.
1 Lcusden de Dlulcctis, p. 20. Michaclis, vol. i. p. 123.
'- In his Philologia Sacra : this work was originally published in 4to. but the best edi-
tion is that of M. Fischer, In 8vo, Leipstc, 1778. Vorstius's treatise was abridged by
Lcusden in his Philolugus Gracus; and Lcusdeu's Abridgment was republished by
Fitti'lier, with valuable noloH and other additions, in 8vo. Leipsic, 1783.
3 In his Hcrmuncutica Sacra Novi UYstamenti, parsii. vol. ii. pp. 1 G2.
4 See particularly pp. l J7:i 2i)(\ 304307. and 333352. Sue also Schaefer's In-
stitutionoK fc)cri])turistit'(c, parsii, pp. 194 ^05,
6 Michaclis, vol. i. pp. 1*25. Glossitis has given several instances in his Philologia
Sacra, canons xxviii. and xxix. vol. i, pp. 67 72, edit Dathc. Professor Winer divides
the Hebraisms of the Now Testament into two classes, perfect and imperfect. Greek
Grammar of the New Test, pp. r>2 35. wlieru he haw given many iwpoitant examples.
C *
24 On ike Original Languages of Scripture. [Part I. Ch.
2. Verbs expressive of a person's doing an action, are often used to sig-
nify his supposing the thing, or discovering and acknowledging the fact, or
his declaring and foretelling the event, especially in the prophetic writings.
Thus, He thatjindeth his life shall lose it (Matt. x.39.), means, He that expects to save his
life by apostaci/, shall lose it. So, Let him become a fool (1 Cor. iii. 18.), is equivalent to,
Let him become sensible of his folly. Make the heart of this people fat ( Jsa. VT. 9, 10.), i- o.
Prophesy that they shall be so. What God hath cleansed (Acts x. 15.)> i. e. What God haih
declared clean. J3ut of that day and hour no man knoweth (that is, makcth known), not
even the angels who are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father (Matt. xxiv. S6,) 5 that is s
neither man, nor an angel, nor the Son, has permission to make known this secret*
3. Negative verbs are often put for a strong positive affirmation.
Thus, No good thing will he withhold (Psal. Ixxxiv. 11.), means, Hewitt give them all good
things __ Being not weak in the faith (Rom. iv. 19.), i.e. Being strong in the faith. I
will not leave you comfortless (John xiv, IS.), means, / will loth protect and give you the
most solid conifirt.
4. The privileges of the first-born among the Jews being very great,
that which is chief or most eminent in any kind, is called the first-born,
Gen. xlix. 3.
So, in Job xviii. 13., the first-born of death is the most fatal and cruel death. In
Isa. xiv- 30. the first-born of the poor denotes those who are most poor and miserable. (Sec
also Psai. Ixxxix. 27. Jer. xxxi. 9. Rom, viii. 29. Col. i. 15. 18. Hob. xii. 23.)
5. The word son has various peculiar significations. This word was a
favourite one among the Hebrews, who employed it to designate a great
variety of relations. The son of any thing, according to the oriental idiom,
may be either what is closely connected with it, dependant on it, like it,
the consequence of it, worthy of it, &c.
Thus, die sons or children of Belial, so often spoken of in the Old Testament, are wicked
men, such as are good for nothing, or such as will not be governed, Children of light arc
such as are divinely enlightened, (Lukexvi. 8. Johnxiu 36. Ephes, v. 8. 1 These." v. 5.)
Children of disobedience are disobedient persons. (Ephes. ii. 2.) Children of Hdl
(Matt, xxiii. 15.); of wrath (Ephes. ii, 3.) ; and Son of perdition (John xvii. 12.
2 Thess. ii. 3.) ; are respectively such as are worthy thereof, or obnoxious thereto. A son
of peace (Luke x. 6.) is one that is worthy of it. (See Matt. x. 13.) The children of a
place are the inhabitants of it. (Ezraii.'l. Psal.cxlix. 2. Jer. ii. 16. So the word
daughter is likewise used (2 Kings xix. 21, P&al, xlv. 12, cxxxvii. S. Lam. ii. 13,
Zech. ii. 10.) ; the city being as a mother, and the inhabitants of it taken collectively, as her
daughter. The children of the promise, are such as embrace and believe the promise of the
Gospel. (GaL iv. 28.) Sons of men (Psal. iv. 2.) are no more than men. And Christ
is as often called the son of man, as he is man. The sons of God (Gen. vi. 2.) are those
xvho professed to be pious, or the children of God. i (Matt. v. 45.) They are such as
imitate him, or are governed by him. (1 John iii. 10.) On the same account are men
called the children, of the devil. So likewise (John viii. 44.) futher is understood in a like
sense ; also those who are the inventors of any thing, or instruct others therein, arc called
their fathers. (Gen. iv. 20.)
6. Name is frequently used as synonymous with persons.
Thus, to believe on the name of Christ (John i. 12.) means to believe on him, See
similar examples in John iii. 18. xx. 31. Rev. iii. 4. In like manner soul is put for
person, in Matt, xii, IS. In whom my soul is well pleased, that is, in whom I am well
pleased. See other examples in Gen. xii. 13. six. 20. Psal. cvi. 15, Job xvi. 4. Brov.
xxv. 25. Rom. xiii. 1. Heb. x. 38.
7. As the Jews had but few adjectives in their language, they liad re-
course to substantives, in order to supply their place.
Hence we find kingdom and glory used to denote a glorious tingdom. (1 Thess. ii. 12.)
Mouth and wisdom for wise discourse (Luke xxi. 15.) : the patience of hope for patient
expectotwn (1 Thess. i. 3.) ; glory of his power for glorious power. (2 Thess. i, 9.) So cir-
* * ^7^ t&to**?* of the words Son," and Sons of God," according to
the oriental idioms, are investigated and elucidated at considerable length by Professor
I. Sect. IL] Hebraisms of the New Testament* 25
cumcision and uncircumcision mean circumcised and uncircumcised persons. Anathema
(1 Cor. xvi, 22.) means, an excommunicated member. The spirits of the prophets (1 Cor.
xiv. 32.), means, the spiritual gifts of the prophets. When one substantive governs another, in
the genitive, one of them is sometimes used as an adjective. In the body of his flesh, means,
m his fleshly lady (Col. i 22.) ; JBond of pcrfictness (Col.iii. 14.), means, & perfect band.
In Eph. vi. 12. spiritual wickedness, means, wicked spirits. Newness of life (Rom. vii. 6.),
is a ueio life. The tree of the knowledge of goodajid evil (Gen. ii. 9. compared with iii. 22.),
means, the tree of the knowledge of good, or of a pleasure which to taste is an evil. When two
substantives are joined together, by the copulative and, the one frequently governs the other,
as in Dan* iii. 7. All the people, the ?iatio)is, and the languages, mean, people of all nations
and languages. In Acts xxiii. 6. the hope and resurrection of the dead, means, the hope of
the resurrection of the dead. In Col. ii. 8. Philosophy and vain deceit, denotes, a false and
deceitful philosophy. Hath brought life and immortality to light (2 Tim. i. 10.), means, to
Iring immortal life to light. But the expression, I am the ivay, the truth, and the life,
(John xiv. 6.) means, I am the true and living way. It is of importance to observe, that,
in the original, nouns in the genitive case sometimes express the object, and sometimes the
agent. In Matt. ix. 35, the gospel of the kingdom, means, good news concerning the king-
dam. Doctrines of devils, (1 Tim. iv. I.) evidently mean, doctrines concerning demons*
The faith of Christ often denotes the faith which the Lord Jesus Christ enjoins. The
righteousness of God sometimes means, his personal perfection, and sometimes that righte-
ousness which he requires of his people. In Col. ii. 11. the circumcision of Christ, means,
the circumcision enjoined by Christ, The Hebrews used the word hving, to express the ex-
cellence of the thing to which it is applied. Thus, living walcr, or living fountain, signifies,
running, or excellent water. Living stones, living way, living oracles, mean, excellent stones,
an excellent way, and excellent oracles.
8. The Jews, having no superlatives in their language, employed the
words of God or of the Lord, in order to denote the greatness or excel-
lency of a thing.
Thus, in Gen. xiii.10., a beautiful garden is called the garden of the Lord. In 1 Sam.
xxvi. 113. a very deep sleep is called the strep of the Lord. In 2 Chron. xiv. 14. andxvii. 10.,
the fiur of the Lord denotes a very great fear. In Psal. xxxvi. 7. Hob. (6. of English
Bibles), the mountains of God are exceeding high mountains; and in Psal. Ixxx. 10. (Hub.)
tl\Q tallest cedars arc termed cedars of God. The voices of God (Exod. ix 28, Heb. in our
version properly rendered mighty t/mttdcrings) mean superlatively, loud thunder. Compare
also the sublime description of the effects of thunder, or the voice of God, in Psal.xxix.3 "8.
The production of rain by the electric spark" is alluded to, in a very beautiful manner, in
Jer. x. 13. When, he (God) uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens. 1
In Jonah iii. 2. Nineveh is termed an exceeding great citys which in the original Hebrew is
a city great to God. The like mode of expression occurs in the New Testament. Thus,
In Acts vii. 20. Moses is said to be affrsios TW ecu, literally fair to God, or, as it is correctly
rendered in our version, exceeding fair. And in 2 Cor. x. 4. the weapons of our warfare
are termed Suj/ara rco 0ew, literally, mi^At// to Gud, that is, exceeding powerful) not mighty
through Cod, as in our authorised translation.
9- According to the Hebrew idiom, a sword has a mouth 9 or the edge of
the sword is called a mouth. (Luke xxi. 24-.)
They shall fall by the mouth (or, as our translators have correctly rendered it> the edge)
of the sword (Hd*. xi, 54-1 escaped the edge of the sword, is in the Greek <rro/ia, the nwulk
of the sword. So, we read of a twQ-moitlhed sword (ITeb, iv. 12.), for it is Sttrrojuosin the
Greek. That this is the Hebrew phraseology may be seen by comparing Judg. iii, 1 G.
Paul, cxlix. G* Prov. v, 4.
10. The verb yiituo-KO) to Jotu, in the New Testament, frequently de-
notes to approve*
Thus, in Matt vii, 23. 1 never knew you, means, I never approved you. A similar
construction occurs in I Cor. viii. 3, and in Horn, vii, 15. (Gr.) which in our version is
rendered allow. Compare also Psal, i, C.
11. Lastly, to hear denotes to understand) to attend to 9 and to regard
what is said.
In illustration of this remark, compare Deut. xviii, 15. with Acts iii. 23. and see also
Matt, xvii 4 5. and xi. 15. xiii. 9. and Luke viii. 8.
It were no difficult task to adduce numerous similar examples of
Dr, A. Clarke on Exod. ix. 28.
26 On the Original Languages of Scripture. [Part I. Ch.
the Hebraisms occurring in the Scriptures, and particularly in the
New Testament; but the preceding may suffice to show the benefit
that may be derived from duly considering the import of a word in
the several passages of holy writ in which it occurs.
In order to understand the full force and meaning of the Hebraisms
of the New Testament, the following canons have been laid down by
the celebrated critic John Augustus Ernesti, and his annotator Pro-
fessor Morus,
1. Compare Hebrew tuords and farms of expressions luith those "which
occur in good Greek formula > particularly in doctrinal passages.
As all languages have some modes of speech which are common to each other, it some-
times happens that the same word or expression is both Hebrew, and good Greek, and
affords a proper meaning, whether we take it in a Hebrew or a Greek sense. But, in such
cases, it is preferable to adopt that meaning which a Jew would give, because it is most
probable that the sacred writer had this in view rather than the Greek meaning, especially
if the latter were not of very frequent occurrence. Thus, the expression, ye shall die in your
sins (John viii. 24.), if explained according to the Greek idiom, is equivalent to ye shall
persevere in a course of sinful pmcl ice to the end of your Hues ; but, according to the Hebrew
idiom, it not only denotes a physical or temporal death, but also eternal death, and is equi-
valent to ye shall be damned on account of your sins, in rejecting the Messiah. The latter
interpretation, therefore, is preferably to be adopted, as agreeing best with the Hebrew mode
of thinking, and also with the context.
This rule applies particularly to the doctrinal passages of the New Testament, which must
in all cases be interpreted according to the genius of the Hebrew language. Thus, to fear
Gad, in the language of a Je\v, means to reverence or worship God generally. The know*
ledge of Gad, which is so frequently mentioned in the New Testament, if taken accordinn-
to the Hebrew idiom, implies not only the mental knowledge of God, but also the worship
and reverence of Him which flows from it, and, consequently, it is both a theoretical and a
practical knowledge of God. The reason of this rule is obvious. In the first place, our
Saviour and his apo&tles, the first teachers of Christianity, were Jews, who had been edu-
cated in the Jewish religion and language ; and who (with the exception of Paul) being
unacquainted with the niceties of the Greek language at the time they were called to the
apostolic office, could only express them&elves in tlie style and manner peculiar to their
country. Secondly, the religion taught in the New Testament agrees with that delivered
in the Old Testament, of which it is a continuation,- so that the ritual worship enjoined by
the law of Moses is succeeded by a spiritual or internal worship ; the leo-al dispensation is
succeeded by the Gospel dispensation, in which what was imperfect and obscure is become
perfect and clear. Now things that are continued are substantially the same, or of a similar
nature. Thus the expression to come unto God occurs both in the Old and in the New Tes-
tament. In the former it simply means to go up to the temple,- in the latter it is continued,
so that what was' imperfect becomes perfect, and it implies the mental or spiritual approach
unto the Most Bisk i. e. the spiritual worshipping of God, In like manner, since the nu-
merous particulars related in the Old Testament concerning the victims, priests, and temple
of God are transferred, in the New Testament, to the atoning death of Christ, to his ofFerinjr
of himself to death, and to the Chii&tian church, the veil of figure being withdrawn the force
and beauty of these expressions cannot be perceived, nor their meaning fully ascertained un
less we interpret the doctrinal rarts of the New Testament, by the aid of the Old Testament.
2. The Hebraisms of the Neto Testament are to be compared tuith the
good Greek occurring in the Septuagint or Alexandrian version*
As the Hebraisms occurring in the Old Testament are uniformly rendered, in the
Septuagint version, in good Greek, this translation may be considered as a commentary
and exposition of those passages, and as conveying the sense of the Hebrew nation con
cernmg their meaning; The Alexandrian translation, therefore, ought to be consulted in
toe passages of the New Testament in which the sacred writers have rendered the He-
braisms literally. Thus in 1 Cor. xv. 54. death is said to be wallowed p in victory
sentence is a quotation from Isaiah xxv. 8. As the Hebrew word n Zena^i
'
. . s e erew wor n enaihn
S?*Sl TT S tl?e fore ' e of an adve , rb ' and mcans >* > M * " *2 J*
and as the Septuagint sometimes renders the word LCWCTMCH by s mo* in victory but
mpst commonly by <* *>, for ever, Michaelis is of opinion that this last meaning pZjeHy
bG Mdfired ^ iS """
I. Sect. II.] Rabbinisms, $c. of the New Testament, 27
3. In passages that are good Greek, which are common loth to the Old
and New Testament, the corresponding words in the Hebrew Old Testament
are to be compared.
Several passages occur In the New Testament, that are good Greek, and which arc also
to be found in the Alexandrian version. In these cases it is not sufficient to consult the
Greek language only : recourse should also be had to the Hebrexv, because such words of
the Septuagiut and New Testament have acquired a different meaning from what is given to
them by Greek writers, and are sometimes to be taken in a more lax, sometimes in a
more strict sense. Thus, in Gen.v. 24. and Heb. xi, 5. it is said that Enoch pleased God
evTipeffTViKevai T<a 0:w; which expression in itself is sufficiently clear, and is also good
Greek ; but if we compare the corresponding expression in the Hebrew, its true meaning
Is, thatke walked with God. In rendering this clause by eirtjpeerrfj/cEpat TV 0eat?, the Greek
translator did not render the Hebrew verbatim, for in that case he would have said 7repje7raT7j<re
<TVV e ; but he translated it correctly as to the sense. Enoch pleased God, because he lived
habitually as in the sight of God, setting him always before his eyes in every thing he said,
thought, and did. In Psal. ii. 1. the Septuagint version runs thus, Ivan e$pvaw &wi
-why did the nations rags ? Now though this expression is good Greek, it does not fully
render the original Hebrew, which means, why do the, nations furiously and tumnltuoitsly
assemble together, or rebel ? The Septuagint therefore is not sufficiently close. Once more,
the expression owe oyrey, they are not, is good Greek, but admits of various meanings, indi-
cating those who are not yet in existence, those who are already deceased, or, figuratively,
persons of no authority. * This expression occurs both in the Septuagint version of Jer.
xxxi. 15. and also in Mattii. IS. If we compare the original Hebrew, we shall find that
it is to be limited to those who are dead. Hence it nill be evident that the collation of the
original Hebrew will not only prevent us from taking words either in too lax or too strict
a sense, but will also guard us against uncertainty as to their meaning, and lead us to that
very sense which the sacred writer intended.
Besides the Hebraisms, which we have just considered, there are
found in the New Testament various Rabbinical, Syriac, Persic,
Latin, and other idioms and words, which are respectively denomi-
nated Rabbinisins, Syriasms, Persisms, Latinisms, &c. &c. on which
it may not be improper to offer a few remarks.
1. Rabbinisms* We have already seen that during, and subse-
quent to, the Babylonian captivity, the Jewish language sustained
very considerable changes. 1 New words, new sentences, and new
expressions were introduced, especially terms of science, which Moses
or Isaiah would have as little understood, as Cicero or Caesar would
a system of philosophy or theology composed in the language of the
schools. This New flebrew language is called Talmudical, or Rab-
binical, from the writings in which it is used ; and, although these
writings are of much later date than the New Testament, yet, from
the coincidence of expressions, it is not improbable that, even in the
time of Christ, this was the learned language of the Rabbins. 2
Lightfoot, Schoetgeniusj Meuschen, and others, have excellently
illustrated the Rabbinisms occurring in the New* Testament.
2. Aramaisms, or Syriasms and Chaldaisms. The vernacular lan-
guage of the Jews, in the time of Jesus Christ, was the Aramaean ;
which branched into two dialects, differing in pronunciation rather than
in words, and respectively denominated the Chaldee or East Ara-
maean, and the Syriac> or West Aramaean. The East Aramaean
was spoken at Jerusalem and in Judaea ; and was used by Christ
1 Sec p. 5. supra*
2 Michaelis, vol. i. p. 129., who has given some illustrative examples. Mori Acroases
super Hermeneuticae Novi Testament!, vol. i. p, 23S. See also OSearius de Stylo Novi
Testament*, membr. in. aphorism vii. (Thesaurus Theologu-us Nov. Test. torn. Ii.
pp. 23, 24.)
28 Chi the Original Languages of Scripture. [Part I. Ch.
in his familiar discourses and conversations with the Jews ; the West
Aramaean was spoken in " Galilee of the Gentles." It was there-
fore natural that numerous Chaldee and Syriac words, phrases, and
terms of expressions should be intermixed with the Greek of the
New Testament, and even such as are not to be found in the Sep-
tuagint : and the existence of these Chaldaisms and Syriasms, af-
fords a strong intrinsic proof of the genuineness and authenticity of
the New Testament. Were this, indeed, " free from these idioms,
we might naturally conclude that it was not written either by men
of Galilee or Judaea, and therefore was spurious ; for, as certainly
as the speech of Peter betrayed him to be a Galiloean, when Christ
stood before the Jewish tribunal, so certainly must the written lan-
guage of a man, born 3 educated, and grown old in Galilee, discover
marks of his native idiom, unless we assume the absurd hypothesis,
that God hath interposed a miracle, which would have deprived the
New Testament of one of its strongest proofs of authenticity." 1
The following are the principal Aramaean or Syriac and Chaldee
words occurring in the New Testament: A$3a (Abba), Father,
(Rom. viii. 15.) AxsXSa^a (Aceldama), the field of blood, (Acts i. 19.)
- AftAye&8y (Armageddon), the mountain of Megiddo, or of the Gospel,
(Rev. xvi. 16.) Bij&ea-Sa (Bethesda\ the house of mercy, (John v.2.)
K^a; (Cephas), a rock or stone, (John i. 4-3.) KopjSav ( Corban), a gift
or offering dedicated to God, (Mark vii. 11.) EXi, EXa*, Xa/Aa erapa%8*vi
(Eloiy Eloi, lama sabacJitkani), my God, my God! why hast thou forsaken
me ? (Matt, xxvii. 46. Mark xv. 34?.) TL$$aQa (Ephphaiha), be thou
opened, (Mark vii. 34.) Malaya (Mammon), riches, (Matt. vi. 24.)
Ma;av A0 (Maran Atha), the Lord cometh, (1 Cor. xvi. 22.) Pax
(Raca), thou worthless fellow ! (Matt. v. 22. ) Ta?.*0 V.WIM (Talitha cumi),
maid arise ! (Mark v. 41.) 2
3. Latinisms. ec The sceptre having departed from Judah,"
(Gen, xlix. 10.) by the reduction of Judaea into a Roman province,
the extension of the Roman laws and government would naturally
follow the success of the Roman arms : and if to these we add the
imposition of tribute by the conquerors, together with the commer-
cial intercourse necessarily consequent on the political relations of the
Jews with Rome 9 we shall be enabled readily to account for the Latin-
isms, or Latin words and phrases, that occur in the New Testament.
The following is a li$t of the principal Latimsms : Atrcrapiov (assarion,
from the Latin word assarius), equivalent to about three quarters of a
farthing of our money, (Matt. x. 29- Luke xii. 6.) Kijwrof (census), as-
1 Michaelis, vol. i. p. 135. Morus, vol. i. p. 237. Arigler, Hermeneuticce Biblica,
pp. 8388. Bishop Marsh, in his notes to Michaelis, states, that a new branch of the
Aramaean language has been discovered by Professor Adler, which differs in some respects
from the East and West Aramsan dialects. For an account of it, he refers to the third
part of 21. Adler's Nwi Testamenti Versiones Syriacte, Simplex, Phttoxeniana, et HWTO&Q- ,
tymilana, denuo examinaleu, <Jc. 4to. Hafnias, 1789, of which work we have not been able
to obtain a sight. PfeifFer has an amusing disquisition on the Galilaean dialect of Peter,
which in substance corresponds with the above-cited remark of Michaelis, though Pfeiffer
does not seem, to have known the exact names of the dialects then in use among the Jews.
Op. tom^i. pp, 616 622.
* ^Additional examples of Chaldaisms and Syriasms may be seen in Olearius de Stylo
Novi Tesitanifinti, membr. iii, aphorism vi, (Thesaurus Theologico-Philologicus, torn. ii.
pp, 22, 23.)
I. Sect, IL] Latinisms of the Ne> Testament. 29
sessment or rate, (Matt. xvii. 25.) K&TGvpiav (centurio) } a centurion a
(Mark xv, 39. 44, 45.) K&wia (colonia), a colony, (Acts xvi. 12.)
KovffJ&ha (custodia), a guard of soldiers, (Matt, xxvii. 65, 66. xxviii. 11.)
Aqvaptos (denarius), a Roman penny, equivalent to about seven-pence
halfpenny of our money, (Luke vii. 41.) fcjjoyeUwy (flagellum), a scourge,
(Johnii. 15.); from this word is derived $pavyeM.Qsf, to scourge with whips,
(Matt, xxvii. 26. Mark xv. 15.) As this was a Roman punishment, it is
no wonder that we find it expressed by a term nearly Roman. lova-7o$
(Justus), (Acts i. 23.) Aey^? (legio), a legion, (Matt, xxvi, 53.)
Kt&pxyrrtf (quadrans) a Roman coin equivalent to about three fourths of
an English halfpenny, (Matt. v. 26.) A^srm? (libertinus), a freed man,
(Acts vi. 9.) AirsaT (lil)ra) 9 a pound, (John xii. 3.) AWTM (linteitm),
a towel, (John xiii. 4.) Max.sXAoy (macellum), shambles, (1 Cor. x. 25.)
Mepppxya, (membrana), parchment, (2 Tim. iv. 13.) Mfrtw (mi lie), a mile;
the Roman mile consisting of a thousand paces, (Matt. v. 41.) Henrys
(sextarins), a kind of pot, (Mark vii. 4.8.) npeuTopw (pr&torium), a
judgment-hall, or place where the praetor or other chief magistrate
heard and determined causes, (Matt, xxvii. 27.) 2^,a;x*vSry or 2^x*j/&*fi>
(semicinctium), an apron, (Acts xix. 12.) Smapus (sicarius), an assassin,
(Acts xxi. 38.) I,Qv$i*pt6v (sudarium), a napkin, or handkerchief, (Luke
xix. 20.) 2iKxowXaTfi?p (speculator), a soldier employed as an executioner^
(Mark vi. 27.) Tagepva (taberna), a tavern, (Acts xxviii. 15.) T^rAoj
(titulus), a title, (John xix. 19, 20.) *
4. From the unavoidable intercourse of the Jews with the neigh-
bouring nations, the Arabs, Persians (to whose sovereigns they
were formerly subject), and the inhabitants of Asia Minor, numerous
words, and occasional expressions may be traced in the New Tes-
tament, which have been thus necessarily introduced among the
Jews. These words, however, are not sufficiently numerous to
constitute so many entire dialects : for instance, there are not more
than four or five Persian words in the whole of the New Testament,
These cannot, therefore, be in strictness termed Persisms; and,
though the profoundly learned Michaelis is of opinion that the
Zend-avesta, or antient book of the Zoroastrian religion, translated
by M. Anquetil clu Perron, throws considerable light on the phrase-
ology of Saint John's writings ; yet, as the authenticity of that work
has been disproved by eminent orientalists, it cannot (we apprehend)
be with propriety applied to the elucidation of the New Testament.
From the number of words used by Saint Paul in peculiar senses,
as well as words not ordinarily occurring in Greek writers, Mi-
chaelis is of opinion (after Jerome) that they were provincial idioms
used in Cilicia in the age in which he lived ; and hence he deno-
minates them Cilicisms* 2
The preceding considerations and examples may suffice to convey
1 Pritii Introductio ad Lectionem Novi Testament!, pp. 320 322. Olearius, sect. 2.
memb.iii. aph, ix. pp. 24, 25. Arigler, Hermeneutica Biblica, p. 99. Michaelis, vei.L
pp. ] 62 173. Morus, vol. i. pp.235, 235. Oiearius and Michaelis have collected
numerous instances of Latinising phrases occurring in the New Testament, which want of
room compels us to omit. Full elucidations of the various idioms above cited are <viven
by Schleusner and Parkhurst in their Lexicons to the New Testament. The Greeco-
Barbara Novi Testament! (I6mo. Amsterdam, 1649,) of Cheitoraseus, may also be con-
sulted when it can be met with.
* Michaelis, vol. i. pp, 149162,
30 On the Cognate or Kindred Languages. [Part I. Ch.
some idea of the genius of the Greek language of the New Testa-
ment. For an account of the principal editions of the Greek Tes-
tament, see the Appendix to this Volume, pp. 10 27.; and for the
most useful Lexicons that can be consulted, see pp. 168 172.
SECTION III.
ON THE COGNATE OR KINDRED LANGUAGES.
1. The Aramcean, with its two dialects ; 1. The Chaldee ; 2. The Synac.
II. The Arabic, with its derivative, the Ethiopia. III. Use and
importance of the Cognate Languages to Sacred Criticism.
1 HE Cognate or Kindred Languages are those which are allied to
the Hebrew, as being sister-dialects of the Shemitish languages, all
of which preserve nearly the same structure and analogy. The prin-
cipal cognate languages are the Aramaean, and the Arabic, with their
respective dialects or derivatives.
1. The ARAMAEAN LANGUAGE (which in the authorised English
version of 2 Kings xviii. 26., and Dan. ii. 4., is rendered the Syrian
or Syriack] derives its name from the very extensive region of Aram a in
which it was antiently vernacular. As that region extended from the
Mediterranean sea through Syria and Mesopotamia, beyond the river
Tigris, the language there spoken necessarily diverged into various
dialects ; the two principal of which are the Chaldee and the Syriac.
J. The Chaldee, but more correctly, the Babylonian, Assyrian, or
Eastern Aramaean dialect was formerly spoken in Babylonia and
Assyria, and was the vernacular dialect spoken in Judaea after the
captivity of the Hebrews. Besides the portions of the Old Testa-
ment already stated in page 3, as being written in this tongue,
numerous Chaldaic words occur in the book of Job, the Proverbs,
and other parts of the sacred writings, for the correct understanding
of which the knowledge of Chaldee is necessary. It is further o^
great use for enabling us to read the Chaldee paraphrases which
show the sense put by the Jews themselves on the words of Scripture. 1
2. The Syriac or Western Aramcean was spoken both in Syria
and Mesopotamia ; and, after the captivity, it became vernacular in
Galilee. Hence, though several of the sacred writers of the New
Testament expressed themselves in Greek, their ideas were Syriac ;
and they consequently used many Syriac idioms, and a few Syriac
words, 2 The chief difference between the Syriac and Chaldee con-
sists in the vowel-points or mode of pronunciation ; and, notwith-
standing the forms of their respective letters are very dissimilar, yet
the correspondence between the two dialects is so close, that if the
Chaldee be written in Syriac characters without points it becomes
Syriac, with the exception of a single inflexion in the formation of
i Jahn, Elements Aramaic Linguae, p. 2. Walton's Prolegomena, c. xii. $23
(pp. 559562. edit. Dathii,) 5 '
a Masclef, Gramiu, Hebr. vol. ii. p, 114. Wotton's Misna, voU. prsef. p. xviii.
I. Sect. III.] On the Cognate or Kindred Languages. 31
the verbs* l The great assistance, which a knowledge of this dialect
affords to the critical understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures, is il-
lustrated at considerable length by the elder Michaelis, in a philolo-
gical dissertation, originally published in 1756, and reprinted in the
first volume of MM. Pott's and Ruperti's " Sylloge Commenta-
tionum Theologicarum." G
II. Though more remotely allied to the Hebrew than either of
the preceding dialects, the ARABIC LANGUAGE possesses sufficient
analogy to explain and illustrate the former, and is not, perhaps, in-
ferior in importance to the Chaldee or the Syriac ; particularly as it
is a living language, in which almost every subject has been discussed,
and has received the minutest investigation from native writers and
lexicographers. The Arabic language has many roots in common
with the Hebrew tongue ; and this again contains very many words
which are no longer to be found in the Hebrew writings that are
extant, but which exist in the Arabic language. The learned Jews
who flourished in Spain from the tenth to the twelfth century under
the dominion^ of the Moors, were the first who applied Arabic to the
illustration of the Hebrew language: and subsequent Christian wri-
ters, as Bochart, the elder Schultens, Olaus Celsius, and others, have
diligently and successfully applied the Arabian historians, geographers.,
and authors on natural history, to the explanation of the Bible. 3
The Ethiopia language, which is immediately derived from the
Arabic, has been applied with great advantage to the illustration of
the Scriptures by Bocharf, De Dieu, Hottinger, and Ludolph (to
whom we are indebted for an Ethiopic Grammar and Lexicon) * J :
and Pfeiffer has explained a few passages in the books of Ezra and
Daniel, ^by the aid of the Persian language. 5
III. The Cognate or Kindred Languages are of considerable use
in sacred criticism. They may lead us to discover the occasions of
such false readings as transcribers unskilled in the Hebrew, but ac-
customed to some of the other dialects, have made by writino- words
in the form of that dialect instead of the Hebrew form, Further,
the knowledge of these languages will frequently serve to prevent ilk
grounded conjectures that a passage is corrupted, by showing that
the common reading is susceptible of the very sense which such pas-
sage requires : and when different readings are ibitnd in copies of
the Bible, these languages may sometimes assist us in determining
which of them ought to be preferred/'
1 Walton, Prol. c. xiii. 2, 3, 4, 5. (pp. 5.9-1 C03.)
* D. Chnstiani Benedict! Michaclis Dissortatio JPhHolotfca, nn Lamina y
illuirtrando Ebraismo Sa.ro exibentur (Hal*, 175C), in SWa and Ilupt'rti'J
havu !MBrtBd in the notos somc additioL
v r, k '. i >rol. e,sir. 2^7. 14, (pp.
, ' Blsh P Marsh's Divinity Lectures, partiii. p. 28.
t 5 a V? r> T? Ienn ' SaCT ' P ' 107 ' Walton > Pro1 ' c " xvi ' <*-* (PP- 674678.)
SO ^ tt J Ma ^ ccn *' iv v no -^; (Op. torn. i. pp, 4SO-4SS. ) and Herm, Sacra, c. vi.
' >' bld ' 1 f? i "' I)( e48 ') Walton, Prol, c. xvi. 5. (pp. 6'91, 6930
Gerard s Institutes of Biblical Criticism, p. 63, For Bibliographical Notices of the
me 'T73 arS 17S CO " S f th C%riUltC Lai ^ ua ^ cs ' soe thc A W iflodixtptliw
32 On the Antient Versions of the Scriptures. [Part I.
CHAPTER II.
ON THE ANTIENT VERSIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES.
NEXT to the kindred languages, versions afford the greatest as-
sistance to the criticism and interpretation of the Scriptures. " It is
only by means of versions, that they, who are ignorant of the original
languages, can at all learn what the Scripture contains : and every
version, so far as it is just, conveys the sense of Scripture to those
who understand the language in which it is written/'
Versions may be divided into two classes, antient and modern : the
former were made immediately from the original languages by per-
sons to whom they were familiar ; and who, it may be reasonably
supposed, had better opportunities for ascertaining the force and
meaning of words, than more recent translators can possibly have.
Modern versions are those made in later times* and chiefly since the
reformation : they are useful for explaining the sense of the- inspired
writers, while antient versions are of the utmost importance both for
the criticism and interpretation of the Scriptures. The present
chapter will, therefore, be appropriated to giving an account of those
which are most esteemed for their antiquity and excellence* l
The principal antient versions, which illustrate the Scriptures, are
the Chaldee Paraphrases, generally called Targums s the Septuagint,
or Alexandrian Greek version, the translations of Aquila, ' Symma-
chus, and Theodotion, and what are called the fifth, sixth, and
seventh versions, (of which latter translations fragments only are
extant,) together with the Syriac, and Latin or Vulgate versions.
Although the authors of these versions did not flourish at the time
when the Hebrew language was spoken, yet they enjoyed many ad-
vantages for understanding the Bible, especially the Old Testament,
which are not possessed by the moderns : for, living near the time
when that language was vernacular, they could learn by tradition
the true signification of some Hebrew words, which is now forgotten.
Many of them also being Jews, and from their childhood accustomed
to hear the rabbins explain the Scripture, the study of which they
diligently cultivated, and likewise speaking a dialect allied to the
Hebrew, they could not but become well acquainted with the latter,
Hence it may be safely inferred that the antient versions generally
give the true sense of Scripture, and not nnfrequently in passages
where it could scarcely be discovered by any other means. All the
antient versions, indeed, are of great importance both in the criticism,
as well as in the interpretation, of the sacred writings, but they are
not all witnesses of equal value ; for the authority of the different
versions depends partly on the age and country of their respective
authors, partly on the text whence their translations were made, and
partly on the ability and fidelity with which they were execute^ It
will therefore be not irrelevant to offer a short historical notice of
1 Tor an account of the principal modern versions, the reader is referred to the Ap-
pendix, pp, 53113. . * f
Ch. II. Sect. L] Of the Targums, or Ckaldee Paraphrases. 23
the principal versions above mentioned, as well as of some other au-
tient versions of less celebrity perhaps, but which have been bene-
ficially consulted by biblical critics.
SECTION I.
ON THE TARGUJVIS, OR CHALDEE PARAPHRASES OF THE OLD
TESTAMENT.
I. Targum of Onltelos ; II. Of the Pseudo- Jonathan ; III. The Jeru-
salem Targum; IV. The Targum of Jonathan Ben Uzziel ; V. The
Targum on the Hagiographa ; VI. The Targum on the Megilloth ;
VII, VIII, IX. Three Targums on the Book of Esther ; X. A
Targum on the Books of Chronicles ; XL Real value of the different
Targums.
1 HE Chaldee word DI^Hn TARGUM signifies, in general, any
version or explanation ; but this appellation is more particularly
restricted to the versions or paraphrases of the Old Testament, exe-
cuted in the East-Aramaean or Chaldee dialect, as it is usually called.
These Targums are termed paraphrases or expositions, because they
are rather comments and explications, than literal translations of the
text : they are written in the Chaldee tongue, which became familiar
to the Jews after the time of their captivity in Babylon a and was
more known to them than the Hebrew itself: so that, when the law
was " read in the synagogue every Sabbath day," in pure biblical
Hebrew, an explanation was subjoined to it in Chaldee ; in order to
render it intelligible to the people, who had but an imperfect know-
ledge of the Hebrew language. This practice, as already observed,
originated with Ezra T ; as there are no traces of any written Tar-
gums prior to those of Onkelos and Jonathan, who are supposed to
have lived about the time of our Saviour, it is highly probably that
these paraphrases were at first merely oral ; that, subsequently, the
ordinary glosses on the more difficult passages were committed to
writing"; and that, as the Jews were bound by an ordinance of their
elders to possess a copy of the law, these glosses were either after-
wards collected together and deficiencies in them supplied, or new
and connected paraphrases were formed.
There are at present extant ten paraphrases on different parts of
the Old Testament, three of which comprise the Pentateuch, or five
books of Moses: !. The Targum of Onkelos; 2. That falsely
ascribed to Jonathan, and usually cited as the Targum of the Pseudo-
1 See pp. 5, 6> supra. Our account of the Chaldee paraphrases is drawn up From a
careful consideration of what has been written on them, by Carpzov, in his Oitwa
Sacra, part ii. c. i. pp. 430 481. ; Bishop Walton, Prol. c. 12. sectiu pp. 568^92. ;
Leusdcn, in Philolog. Hebroeo-Mixt. DIKS. v. vi, and vii. pp, 3658. ; Dr, Prideaux,
Connection, part ii, bookviii. sub anno 37. B, c. vol. iii. pp, 531 555. (edit. 1 7 18,)
Kortholt, De variis Scripturse Editionibus, c, iii, pp. 34 51.; PfehTer, Critica Sacra,
cap. via", sect, ii, (Op. torn, ii, pp. 750771.), and in his Treatise de Theologia Judaic*,
&c, Exereit. ii. (Ibid. torn. ii. pp, 862 889.) ; Bauer, Critica Sacra, tract, iii. PP- 288
308.; Rambach. Inst. Herm. Sacrac, pp. 606 6*11. ; Ptctet, Theologie Chretienne,
torn. i. pp. 145. et seq*; Jahn, Introductfo, ad Libros Veteris Fccderis, pp, (>9 75. ; and
"Wsehner's Antiquitates Ebraeoruin, torn, i. pp. 156 170.
VOL, II. D
3$ On the Artfient Versions. [Part I. Ch.
Jonathan; and 3/^The Jerusalem Targurn ; 4. The Targum of Jona-
than Ben TJzziel, (L e. the son of Uzziel) on the Prophets ; 5. The
Targum of Rabbi Joseph the blind, or one-eyed, on the Hagiogra-
pha ^ 6. An anonymous Targum on the five Megilloth, or books of
Ruth, Esther, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and the Lament-
ations of Jeremiah ; 7, 8, 9. Three Targums on the book of Esther;
and, 10. A Targum or paraphrase on the two books of Chronicles*
These Targums, taken together, form a continued paraphrase on
the Old Testament, with the exception of the books of Daniel,, Ezra,
and Nehemiah (antiently reputed to be part of Ezra) ; which being
for the most part written in Chaldee, it has been conjectured that no
paraphrases were written on them, as being unnecessary ; though Dr.
Prideaux is of opinion that Targums were composed on these books
also, which have perished in the lapse of ages.
The language, in which these paraphrases are composed, varies
in purity according to the time when they were respectively written.
Thus, the Targums of Onkelos and the Pseudo- Jonathan ar^nuch
purer than the others, approximating very nearly to the Aramaean
dialect in which some parts of Daniel and Ezra are written, except
indeed that the orthography does not always correspond j while the
language of the later Targums whence the rabbinical dialect derives
its source, is far more impure, "and is intermixed with barbarous and
foreign words. Originally, all the Chaldee paraphrases were written
without vowel-points, like all other oriental manuscripts.: but at
length some persons ventured to add points to them, though very
erroneously, and this irregular punctuation was retained in the Venice
and other early editions of the Hebrew*Bible. Some further imper-
fect attempts towards regular pointing were made both in the Complti-
tensian and in the Antwerp Polyglotts, until at length the elder, BuxtoriJ
in his edition of the Hebrew Bible published at Basil, undertook the
thankless task l of improving the punctuation of the Targnras, accard-
ing to such rules as he had formed from the pointing which he had
found in the Chaldee parts of the books of Daniel and Ezra ; and his
method of punctuation is foljowed in Bfehop Walton's Polyglott
I. The Targum of Onkelos. It is not known, with certainty, at
what time Onkelos flourished, nor of what nation he was : Professor
Eichhorn conjectures that he was a native qf Batof Ion, -first, because
he is mentioned in the Babylonish Talmud ? secondly, because hisf
dialect is not the Chaldee spoken in Palestine, but much purer* and
more closely resembling the style of Daniel and E?ra ; and, .lastly, *
because he has not interwoven any of those fabulous narratws to
which the Jews of Palestine were so much attached, and from which
they could with difficulty refrain, The generally received%pimo.tt
is, that he was a proselyte to Judaism, and a Disciple of thp celebfat<^l
Rabbi Hillel, who flourished about fifty years feefc^e/'we ChHstka *
sera.; and consequently that Onkelos was copl^ipp^Mry with qiuf
1 1% Simon, Hist, Grit, du Vieux Test. liv. ii. c. viii. Wc&ttMdL iftferffc molfc
ofr pointing the Chaldee paraphrases with great severity; observing, that he ^owld
done ntmsli better if he had more diligently examined manuscripts that were ft*br
|*fctiy pointed. ,
II. Sect. L] Targwn of Jertisalem. 35
Saviour : Bauer and Jahn, however, place him in the second cen-
tury. The Targum of Onkelos comprises the Pentateuch or five
books of Moses, and is justly preferred to all the others both by Jews
and Christians, on account of the purity of its style, and its general
freedom from idle legends. It is rather a version than a paraphrase,
and renders the Hebrew text word for word, with so much accuracy
and exactness, that being set to the same musical notes, with the
original Hebrew, it could be read in the same tone as the latter in
the public assemblies of the Jews. And this we find was the prac-
tice of the Jews up to the time of Rabbi Elias Levita ; who flourished
in the early part of the sixteenth century, and expressly states that
the Jews read the law in their synagogues, first in Hebrew and then
in the Targum of Onkelos. This Targum has been translated into
Latin by Alfonso de Zamora, Paulus Fagius, Bernardinus Baldus,
and Andrew de Leon of Zamora. 1
II. The second Targum, which is a more liberal paraphrase of
the Pentateuch than the preceding, is usually called the Targum of
the Pseudo-Jonathan, being ascribed by many to Jonathan Ben Uz-
ziel, who wrote the much-esteemed paraphrase on the Prophets. But
the difference in the style and diction of this Targum, which is very
impure, as well as in the method of paraphrasing adopted in it, clearly
proves that it could not have been written by Jonathan Ben Uzziel,
who indeed sometimes indulges in allegories, and has introduced a
few barbarisms ; but this Targum on the law abounds with the most
idle Jewish legends that can well be conceived ; which, together with
the barbarous and foreign words it contains, render it of very little
utility. From its mentioning. the six parts of the Talmud, (on Exod.
xxvi. 9.) which compilation was not written till two centuries after
the biittoof Christ; Constantinople, (on Numb. xxiv. 19.) which
city wrfS always called Byzantium until it receivedjts name from Con-
stantine the Great, in the beginning of the fourth century ; the Lorn-*
bards, (on Numb. xxiv. 24.) whose first irruption into Italy did not
take place until the year 570 ; and the Turing (on Gen.x. 2.) who did not
become conspicuous till the rfiSddle of the sixth century, learned men
are unanimously of opinion that this Targum of the Pseudo-Jonathan
could not have been written before the seventh, or even the eighth cen-
tury. It has been translated into Latin by Anthony Ralph de Cheva-
lier, an eminent French Protestant divine, in the sixteenth century,
III. The Jerusalem Targum,. which also paraphrases the five
books of Moses, derives its name from the dialect in which it is
composed. It is by no mean a connected paraphrase, sometimes
omitting whole verses, or even chapters ; at otEer times explaining
only a single word of a verse, of which it sometimes gives a two-
fold interpretation ; and at others, Hebrew words are inserted with-
out any explanation whatever.. In many respects it corresponds
with the paraphrase of the Pseudo-Jonathan, whose legendary tales
are here frequently repeated, abridged, or expanded. From the
i The fullest information, concerning the Targum of Onkelos, is to be found in the
disquisition of G. B, Winer, entitled Be OnkHoso ejusque Paraphrasi Chatdaica Dis*
sertatio, 4to. Lip^iae, 1820.
D 2
36 On th& Antient Versions. [Part I. Ch.
impurity of its style, and the number of Greek, Latin, and Persian
words which it contains, Bishop Walton 5 Carpzov, Wolfius, and
many other eminent philologers, are of opinion, that it is a com-
pilation by several authors, and consists of extracts and collections.
From these internal evidences, the commencement of the seventh
century has been assigned as its probable date ; but it is more likely
not to have been written before the eighth or perhaps the ninth cen-
tury. This Targum was also translated into Latin by Chevalier and
by Francis Taylor.
IV. The Targum of Jonathan Ben UzzieL According to the
talmudical traditions, the author of this paraphrase was chief of the
eighty distinguished scholars of Rabbi Hillel the elder, and a fellow-
disciple of Simeon the Just, who bore the infant Messiah in his
arms : consequently he would be nearly contemporary with Onkelos.
Wolfius 1 , however, is of opinion that he flourished a short time
before the birth of Christ, and compiled the work which bears his
name a from more antient Targums, that had been preserved 4o his
time by oral tradition. From the silence of Origen and Jerome con-
cerning this Targum, of which they could not but have availed them-
selves if it had really existed in their time, and also from its being
cited in the Talmud, both Bauer and Jahn date it mych later than
is generally admitted : the former, indeed, is of opinion, that its tr\ie
date cannot be ascertained; and the latter, from the inequalities of style
and method observable in it, considers it as a compilation from the
interpretations of several learned men, made about the close of the
third 01* fourth century. This paraphrase treats on the Prophets,
that is (according to the Jewish classification of the sacred .writings),
on the books of Joshua, Judges., 1 & 2 Sam. 1 & 2 Kings, who are
termed the former prophets \ and on Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezejpel, and
the twelve minor prophets, who are designated as the latter pjfphets*
Though the style of this Targum is not so pure and elegant a^ tibaC
of Onkelos, yet it is not disfigured by those legendary tales aiad nu^
xnerous foreign and barbarous words which abound* in the lattef
Targums. Both the language and nqgjNod of interpretation*^ how-
ever, are irregular : in the exposition of the former prophets, the
text is more closely rendered than in that on the Jatter, which is less
accurate, as well as more paraphrastical, anc| inter^ersed with some
traditions and fabulous legends. In order to .attach the greater au- *
thority to the Targum of Jonathan Beji Uzziel, the Jews, not satisfied *
with making him contemporary with the prophets Malachi, Zacha-
riah, and Haggai, and asserting that he received it from theirjips s
have related, that ^hile Jonathan was composing his paraphrase
there was an earthquake for forty leagues around him ; andtfhat |F
any bird happened to pass over hife, or a fly, alighted on his pape^
"while writing, they were immediately consumed by fife from heaven/
without any injury being sustained either by his person l&r his;
of this Targum was translated into Latin by
____^ . ._-
" . dl Bibliotheca Hebraic, torn, i, p. 1 160,
II. Sect. L] Targums on the Cetulim^ Megilloth, and Esther. 37
Zamora, Andrea de Leon, and Conrad Pellican ; and the paraphrase
on the twelve minor prophets, by Iinmanuel Tremellius.
V. The Targum on the Cetubim, Hagiographa, or Ploly Writings,
is ascribed by some Jewish writers to Rqf Jose> or Rabbi Joseph,
sin-named the one-eyed or blind, vv4io is said to have been at the head
of the academy at Sera, in the third century; though others affirm
that its author is unknown. The style is barbarous, impure, and very
unequal, interspersed with numerous digressions and legendary nar-
ratives : on which account the younger Buxtorf, and after him Bauer
and Jahn, are of opinion that the whole is a compilation of later"
times : and this sentiment appears to be the most correct Dr. Pri-
deaux characterises its language as the most corrupt Chaldee of the
Jerusalem dialect. The translators of the preceding Targum,' toge-
ther with Arias Montanus, have given a Latin version of this Tar<mrn.
VI. The Targum on the Megilloth^ or five books of Ecclesiastes,
Song of Songs, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ruth, and Esther, is evi-
dently a compilation by several persons : the barbarism of its style,
numerous digressions, and idle legends which are inserted, all con-
cur to prove it to be of late date, and certainly not earlier than the
sixth century. The paraphrase on the book of Ruth and the La-
mentations of Jeremiah is the best executed portion : Ecclesiastes is
more freely paraphrased ; but the text of the Song of Solomon is
absolutely lost amidst the diffuse circumscription of its author, and
his djjll glosses and fabulous additions*
VII. VIII. IX. The three Targums antihe looJc of Esther. This
book has always been held in the highest estimation by the Jews ;
which circumstance induced them to translate it repeatedly into the
Chaldee dialect. Three* paraphrases on it have been printed: one
in the Antwerp Polyglotti whicfi is fhuch shorter and* contains fewer
digresBons than the others! another in Bishop Waltori's Polyglott;,
which is more diffuse, and comprises more numerous Jewish fables
and traditions; and a third, of which a Latin Version was published
by Francis Taylor ; and which, according to Carpzov, is more
stupid and diffuse than either of the preceding, They are all three
of very late date.
X. A Targum on the books of Chronicles, which for a long time
was unknown both to Jews and Christians, was discovered in the
'library at Erfurt 9 belonging to the ministers of the Augsburg con-
fession, by Matthias Frederick Beck ; who published it in 1680, 3, 4,
in two quarto volumes. Another edition was published at Amster-
dam by the learned David Wilkiiis (1715, 4toA from a manuscript
in the university library at Cambridge. It is Wore complete than
Beck's edition, and supplies "many of its deficiencies. This Tai-gum,
hoxvever, is of very little value ? like all the other Chaldee para-
phrases, it blends legendary tales with the narrative, and introduces
numerous Greek words, such as o^Xoj, <rop*fa, &?%<&, &c,
XI. Of all the Chaldee paraphrases above noticed, the Targums
of Onkelos and Jonathan Beit Uzziel are most highly valued by the
Jews, who implicitly receive their expositions of doubtful passages.
Shickhard, Mayer, Helvicus, Leasden, HoLtinger, and Dr. Prideaux,
i> 3
38 On the Antient Persians. [Part I. Ch.
have conjectured that some Chaldee Targum was in use in the syno-
gogue where our Lord read Isa. Ixi. I, 2. (Luke iv. 17 19.); and
that he quoted PsaL xxii. 1. when on the cross (Matt, xxvii. 46.) not
out of the Hebrew text, but out of a Chaldee paraphrase. But
there does not appear to be sufficient ground for this hypothesis :
for as the Chaldee or East Aramaean dialect was spoken at Jeru-
salem, it is at least as probable that Jesus Christ interpreted the
Hebrew into the vernacular dialect in the first instance, as that he
should have .read from a Targum ; and, when on the cross, it was
perfectly natural that he should speak in the same language, rather
than in the Biblical Hebrew ; which, we have already seen, was cul-
tivated and studied by the priests and Levites as a learned language.
The Targum of Rabbi Joseph the Blind, in which the words cited
by our Lord are to be found, is so long posterior to the time of his
crucifixion, that it cannot be received as evidence. So numerous,
indeed, are the variations, and so arbitrary are the alterations occur-
ring in the manuscripts of the Chaldee paraphrases, that Dr. Ken*
nicott has clearly proved them to have been designedly altered in
compliment to the previously corrupted copies of the Hebrew text;
or, in other words, that " alterations have been made wilfully in the
Chaldee paraphrase to render that paraphrase, in some places, more
conformable to the words of the Hebrew text, where those HebrW
words are supposed to be right, bftt had themselves been Corrupted*" 1
But notwithstanding all their deficiencies and interpolations, the
Targums, especially those of Onkelos and Jonathan, are of consi-
derable importance in the interpretation of the Scriptures, not only
as they supply the meanings of words or phrases occurring but once
in the Old Testament, but also because they reflect considerable
light on the Jewish rites, ceremonies, laws, customs, usages, j&c. men-
tioned or alluded to in both Testaments. But it is in esfaflishing
the genuine meaning of particular prophecies relative to the Mes-
siah, in opposition to the false explications of the Jews and Anti-
trinitarians, that these Targums are pre-eminently useful Bishop
Walton, Dr. Prideaux, Pfeiffer, Carpzov, and Rambach, ha^e illus-
trated this remark by numerous examples. Bishop Patrick^ and
Drs. Gill and Clarke, in their respective Commentaries on the Bible,
have inserted many valuable elucidations from *he Chaldee f ara-
phrasts. Leusden recommends that no one should attempt to read*,
their writings, nor indeed to learn the Chaldee dialect, who is notf
previously well-grounded in Hebrew ; he advises the Chaldee text
of Daniel and Ezra to be first read either with his own Chaldee 1
Manual or with Btoxtorf's Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon; a%r
which the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan may be perused, with
the help of Buxtorf's Chaldee an*Syriac Lexicon, and of De La
work,Zte Comenientia Focabularum Rabbiniconm cum Gr&cis et
busdam aim linguis Europais. Amstelodami, 1648, Uto. 3
' ..'!.-.; : . f .
l ,Df. Kennicott's Second Dissertation, pp. 167 393, ,, ^>,-*
a && a notice of the principal editions of the Chaldee Paraphrases in P&. 3^89*
Appcndw to this volume, * ,
IL Sect. II.] The Septuagint Gnek Version. 39
SECTION IL
ON THE ANTIENT GREEK VERSIONS OP THE OLD TESTAMENT.
I. The SEPTUAGINT; 1. History of it ; 2. A Critical Account*
of its Execution / 3. What' Manuscripts tjuere used by its Authors;
4. Account of the Biblical Labours of Origen ; 5. Notice of the Re-
censions or Editions ofEuseoius and Pamphilus, ofLucian^ and ofHe-
si/chius j 6* Peculiar Importance of the Septuagint Version in the
Criticism and Interpretation of the New Testament ; II. Account of
other Greek Versions of the Old Testament ; 1. Version of AQUILA ;
2. Of THEODOTION ; 3. Of SYMMACHUS ; 4-, 5, 6. Anonymous
Versions. III. References in Antient Manuscripts to other Versions.
I, AMONG the Greek versions of the Old Testament, the ALEX-
ANDRIAN or SEPTUAGINT, as it is generally termed, is the most
antient and valuable ; and was held in so much esteem both by
the Jews and by the first Christians, as to be constantly read in
the synagogues and churches. Hence it is uniformly cited by the
early fathers, whether Greek or Latin, and from this version all the
translations into other languages, which were antiently approved by
the Christian Church, were executed (with the exception of the
Syriac), as the Arabic, Armenian, Ethiopic, Gothic, and Old Italic
or the Latin version in use before the time of Jerome : and to this
day the Septuagint is exclusively read in the Greek and most other
Oriental churches. 1 This version has derived its name either from
the Jewish account of seventy-two persons having been employed to
make it, or from its having received the approbation of the Sanhe-
drin, or great council of the Jews, which consisted of seventy, or, more
correctly, of seventy-two persons. Much uncertainty, however, has
prevailed^ concerning the real history of this antient version: and
while some have strenuously advocated its miraculous and "divine
origin, other eminent philologists have laboured to prove that it must
have been executed by several persons and at different times.
1. According to one account, Ptolemy Philadelphia, king of Egypt,
caused this translation to be made for the use of the library which he
had founded at Alexandria, at the request and with the advice of the
celebrated Demetrius Phalereus, his principal librarian, For this
purpose, it is reported, that he sent Aristeas and Andreas, two distin-
guished officers of his court to Jerusalem, on an embassy to Eleazar,
1 Walton, Prol. c. ix. (pp. 333 ^G9.)j from which, and from the following authorities,
our account of the Septuagint is derived, viz. Bauer, Critica Sacra, pp. 243 273. who
has chiefly followed Hody's book, hereafter noticed, in the history of the Septuagint ver-
sion : Dr. Pridcaux, Connection, part a. book i. sub anno sfV. (vol. ii. pp. 27^49,) ;
Masch's Preface to part ii. of his edition of Le Long's Bibliotheca Sacra, in which the
history of the Septuagint version- is minutely examined; Morus, in Ernesti, vol. ii. pp, 50
81., 101 119. ; Carpzov, Critica Sacra, pp. 481 551. ; Masch an dBoerner 'sedition of
Le Long's Bibliotheca Sacra, part ii. vol. ii. pp. 216 220., 256 304. ; Thomas, Intro-
ductio in Hermeneuticam Sacrum utriusque Testament!, pp. 228253. Harles, Brevior
Notitia Litteraturse Grsocse, pp. 638 G43. ; and Renouard, Annales de Plinprimerie des
Aides, torn. i. p. 140. See also Orfgenis Hexapla, a Montfaueon, torn. i. Proelim. Diss.
pp. 17 35. A full account of the manuscripts and editions of the Greek Scriptures is
given in the preface to vol. i. of the edition of the Septuagint commenced by ^ the late
JRev. Dr. Holmes, of which an account is given in pp, 37 3 88, of the Appendix to this
olume.
D 4
40 Antient Versions of the Old Testament. [Part I. Ch.
then high priest of the Jews, to request of the latter a copy of the
Hebrew Scriptures, and that there might also be sent to him seventy-
two persons (six chosen out of each of the twelve tribes), who were
equally well skilled in the Hebrew and Greek languages. These
learned men were accordingly shut up in the island of Pharos :
where, having agreed in the translation of each period after a mutual
conference, Demetrius wrote down their version as they dictated it
to him : and thus, in the space of seventy-two days, the whole was
accomplished. This relation is derived from a letter ascribed to
Aristeas himself, the authenticity of which has been greatly disputed.
If, as there is every reason to believe is the case, this piece is a for-
gery, it was made at a very early period : for it was in existence in
the time of Josephus 9 who has made use of it in his Jewish Antiqui-
ties. The veracity of Aristeas's narrative was not questioned until
the seventeenth or eighteenth century : at which time, indeed, bibli-
cal criticism was, comparatively, in its infancy, Vives ] 5 Scaligcr -,
Vaii Dale 3 , Dr. Pricleaux, and, above all, Dr. Hocly 4 , were the prin-
cipal writers in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries who attacked
the genuineness of the pretended narrative of Aristeas ; and though
it was ably vindicated by Bishop Walton 5 , Isaac Vossius 6 , Whiston ',
Brett s , and other modern writers, the majority of the learned in our
own time are fully agreed in considering it as fictitious.
Philo the Jew, who also notices the Septuagint version, was igno-
rant of most of the circumstances narrated by Aristeas ; but he relates
others which appear not less extraordinary. According to him,
Ptolemy Philadelphus sent to Palestine for some learned Jews, whose
number he does not specify : and these going over to the island of
Pharos, there executed so many distinct versions, all of which so
exactly and uniformly agreed in sense, phrases, and words, as proved
them to have been not common interpreters ; but men prophetically
inspired and divinely directed, who had every word dictated to them-
by the Spirit of God throughout the entire translation. He adds
that an annual festival was celebrated by the Alexandrian Jews in
the isle of Pharos, where the version was made, until his time, to pre-
serve the memory of it, and to thank God for so great a benefit. 9
Justin Martyr, who flourished in the middle of the second century,
about one hundred years after Philo, relates 10 a similar story, with
the addition of the seventy interpreters being shut up each in his
own separate cell (which had been erected for that purpose by order
of Ptolemy Philadelphus) ; and that here they composed so many
distinct versions, word for word, in the very same expressions, to the
1 In a note on Augustine de Civitate Dei, lib. viii. c. 42.
* lii a note on Eusebius's Chronicle, no. MDCCXXXIV.
3 Dissertatio super Aristca, de LXX interpretibus, e. Amst. 1705, 4to.
* De Bibliorum Grajcorum Textibus, "Versionibus Gra?cis 3 et Lathul Vulgatiu libri iv.
cul prasraittitur Aristeas Historia, folio, Oxon. 1705.
& |d. c. ix. 310, pp. 338359.
6 Be LXX Interpretibus, Hag. Com. 1661, 4to.
J In tie Appendix to his work on The Literal Accomplishment of Scripture Pro-
pbecies," ^Ikradon, 1724, Svo,
* Disse^tio^ on th<* Septuagint, in Bishop Watson's Collection of Theological Tracts,
vol. in. p, 20. et segv D
B De Vita MORIS. Hlv ii- 10 r^ rtt , f A r:n*
II. Sect. II.] The Scptuagint Greek Version. " 14
great admiration of the king; who, not doubting that this version
was divinely inspired} loaded the interpreters with honours, and dis-
missed them to their own country, with magnificent presents. The
good father adds, that the ruins of these cells were visible in his
time. But this narrative of Justin's is directly at variance with se-
veral circumstances recorded by Aristeas ; such, for instance, as the
previous conference or deliberation of the translators, and, above all,
the very important point of the version being dictated to Demetrius..,
Phalereus. Epiphanius, a writer of the fourth century, attempts to
harmonise all these accounts by shutting up the translators two and
two, in thirty-six cells, where they might consider or deliberate, and
by stationing a copyist in each cell, to whom the translators dictated
their labours : the result of all which was the production of thirty-
six inspired versions, agreeing most uniformly together.
It is not a little remarkable that the Samaritans have traditions in
favour of their version of the Pentateuch, equally extravagant with
those preserved by the Jews. In the Samaritan Chronicle of Abui
Phatach, which was compiled in the fourteenth century from antient
and modern authors both Hebrew and Arabic, there is a story to
the following effect : That Ptolemy Philadelphia, in the tenth year
of his reign, directed his attention to the difference subsisting between
the Samaritans and the Jews concerning the law ; the former receiv-
ing only the Pentateuch, and rejecting every other work ascribed to
the prophets by the Jews, In order to determine this difference, he
commanded the two nations to send deputies to Alexandria. The
Jews entrusted this mission to Osar, the Samaritans to Aaron, to
whom several other associates were added. Separate apartments ia
a particular quarter of Alexandria, were assigned to each of these
strangers ; who were prohibited from having any personalinte^^wme,
and each of them had a Greek scribe to write his version. ^ Thus
were the law and other Scriptures translated by the Samaritans; whose
version being most carefully examined, the king was convinced that
their text was more complete than that of the Jews. Such is the narra-
tive of Abul Phatach, divested however of numerous marvellous circum-
stances, with which it has been decorated by the Samaritans ; who are
not surpassed even by the Jews in their partiality for idle legends.
A fact, buried under such a mass of fables as the translation of
the Septuagiut has been by the historians, who have pretended to
record it, necessarily loses all its historical character, which indeed
we are fully justified in disregarding altogether. Although there is
no doubt but that some truth is concealed under this load of fables,
yet it is by no means an easy task to discern the truth from what is
false : the following, however s is the result of our researches concern-
ing this celebrated version,
It is probable that the seventy interpreters, as they ate called,
executed their vesion of the Pentateuch during the joint reigns of
Ptolemy Lagus, and his son Philadelphia The Pseudo-Aristeas,
Jofltthus, Philo, and many other writers, whom it were tedious UD
eu mSernte, relate that this version was made during the reign of
Ptolemy II, or Philadelphia : Joseph Ben Gorion, however,, among
42 Antient Versions of the Old Testament. [Part I. Ch.
the Rabbins, Theodoret, and many other Christian writers, refer
its date to the time of Ptolemy Lagus. Now these two traditions
can be reconciled only by supposing the version to have been per-
formed during the two years when Ptolemy Philadelphia shared
the throne with his father; which date coincides with the third and
fourth years of the hundred and twenty-third olympiad, that is,
about the years 286 and 285, before the vulgar Christian sera.
JFurther, this version was made neither by the command of Ptolemy,
nor at the request nor under the superintendence of Demetrius Pha-
lereus ; but was voluntarily undertaken by the Jews for the use of
their countrymen. It is well known, that, at the period above
noticed, there was a great multitude of Jews settled in Egypt, par-
ticularly at Alexandria : these, being most strictly observant of the
religious institutions and usages of their forefathers, had their
Sanhedrin, or grand council composed of seventy or seventy-two
members, and very numerous synagogues, in which the law was
read to them on every sabbath ; and as the bulk of the common
people were no longer acquainted with biblical Hebrew (the Greek
language alone being used in their ordinary intercourse), it became
necessary to translate the Pentateuch into Greek for their use.
This is a far more probable account of the origin of the Alexandrian
version than the traditions above stated. If this translation had been
made by public authority, it would unquestionably have been per-
formed under the direction of the Sanhedrin: who would have
examined, and perhaps corrected it, if it had been the work of a
single individual, previously to giving it the stamp of their appro-
bation, ^and introducing it into the synagogues. In either case the
translation would, probably, be denominated the Septuagint, because
the Sanhedrin was composed of seventy or seventy-two members,
It is even possible that the Sanhedrin, in order to ascertain the fide-
lity of the work, might have sent to Palestine for some learned men,
of whose assistance and advice they would have availed themselves
in examining the version. This fact, if it could be proved (for it
is offered as a mere conjecture), would account for the story of the
king of Egypt's sending an embassy to Jerusalem. There is, how-
ever, one circumstance which proves that, in executing this trans-
lation, the synagogues were originally in contemplation, viz. that
all the antient writers unanimously concur in saying that the Penta-
teuch was first translated. The five books of Moses, indeed, were the
only books read in the synagogues until the time of Antiochus Epi-
phanes, king of Syria : who having forbidden that practice in Pales-
tine, the Jews evaded his commands by substituting for the Penta-
teuch the reading of the prophetic books. When, afterwards, the
Jews were delivered from the tyranny of the kings of Syria, they
read the law and the prophets alternately in their synagogues: and
the same custom was adopted by the Hellenistic or Graecisimr Jews.
^ ?: But whatever was the real number of the authors of the ver~
siqn, thar introduction of Coptic words, (such as up*, ,,, 09*^ &e.)
as well as their rendering of ideas purely Hebrew altogether ia the
Egyptian manner, clearly prove that they were natives of Egypt,'
II. Sect. II.] The Septuagint Greek Version. 43
Thus they express the creation of the world, not by the proper
Greek word KTI2IS, but by FENESlS, a term employed by the
philosophers of Alexandria to express the origin of the universe.
The Hebrew word Thummim, (Exod. xxviii. 30.) which signifies
perfections, they render AAH0EIA, truth. 1 The difference of style
also indicates the version to have been the work not of one but of
several translators, and to have been executed at different times.
The best qualified and most able among them was the translator of
the Pentateuchj who was evidently master of both Greek and He-
brew: he has religiously followed the Hebi'ew text, and has in
various instances introduced the most suitable and best chosen ex-
pressions. From the very close resemblance subsisting between
the text of the Greek version and the text of the Samaritan Penta-
teuch, Louis de Dieu, Selden, Whiston, Hassencamp, and Bauer,
are of opinion that the author of the Alexandrian version made it
from the Samaritan Pentateuch. And in proportion as these two
correspond, the Greek differs from the Hebrew. This opinion is
further supported by the declarations of Origen and Jerome, that
the translator found the venerable name of Jehovah not in the let-
ters in common use, but in very antient characters ; and also by
the fact that those consonants in the Septuagint are frequently con-
founded together, the shapes of which are similar in the Samaritan,
but not in the Hebrew alphabet. This hypothesis, however inge-
nious and plausible, is by no means determinate : and what militates
most against it is, the inveterate enmity subsisting between the Jews
and Samaritans, added to the constant and unvarying testimony of
antiquity that the Greek version of the Pentateuch was executed by
Jews, There is no other way by which to reconcile these conflict-
ing opinions, than by supposing either that the manuscripts used by
the Egyptian Jews approximated towards the letters and text of the J
Samaritan Pentateuch, or that the translators of the Septuagint
made use of manuscripts written in antient characters.
Next to the Pentateuch, for ability and fidelity of execution, ranks
the translation of the book of Proverbs, the author of which was
well skilled in the two languages : Michaelis is of opinion that, of
all the books of the Septuagint, the style of the Proverbs is the best,
the translators having clothed the most ingenious thoughts in as neat
and elegant language as was ever used by a Pythagorean sage, to
express his philosophic maxims. a The translator of the book of
Job being acquainted with the Greek poets, his style is more elegant
and studied : but he was not sufficiently master of the Hebrew lan-
guage and literature, and consequently his version is very oft&i
erroneous* Many of the historical passages are interpolated t*nd[
in the poetical parts there are several passages wanting : Jerome, in
i Tho reason of this appears from Diodorus Siculus, who informs us that the iJVesident
of the Egyptian courts of justice wore round his nec&% golden chain, at which was sus-
pended an image set round with precious stones, which was called TRUTH, o vpotfrj-yopevov
Mif0itar lib. c. 75. torn. i. p. 225. (edit* Bipont) Bauer, (Grit Sacr. pp. 244,345.)
and Morus, (Acroascs in Eniesti, totn.ii* pp, 6781.) have given several examples,
proving from internal evidence that the authors of the Septuagint version were Egyptian.
* Micbiwlis, Introd, to New Test, vol. i. p. 113.
44 Antimt Versions of the Old Testament. jTart I. Ch.
his preface to the book of Job, specifies as many as Seventy or eighty
verses. These omissions were supplied by Origen from Theodo-
tion's translation. * The book of Joshua could not have been trans-
lated till upwards of twenty years after the death of Ptolemy Lagus :
for, in chapter viiL verse 18., the translator has introduced the
word yaio-oj, a word of Gallic origin, denoting a short dart or jave-
lin peculiar to the Gauls, who made in irruption into Greece in
the third year of the 125th olympiad, or B.C. 278; and ii was not
till some time after that event that the Egyptian kings took Gallic
mercenaries into their pay and service.
During the reign of Ptolemy Philometer, the book of Esther,
together with the Psalms and Prophets, was translated. The sub-
scription annexed to the version of Esther, expressly states it to
have been finished on the fourth year of that sovereign's reign, or
about .the year 177 before the Christian aera: the Psalms and
Prophets, in all probability, were translated still later, because the
Jews did not begin to read them in their synagogues till about the
year 170 before Christ. The Psalms and Prophets were translated
by men every way unequal to the task: Jeremiah is the best ex-
ecuted among the Prophets; and next to this the books of Amos and
Ezekiel are placed: the important prophecies of -Isaiah were trans-
lated, according to Bishop Lowth, upwards of one hundred years
after the Pentateuch, and by a person by no means adequate to the
undertaking; there being hardly any book of the Old Testament so
ill rendered in the Septuagint as this of Isaiah, (which together with
other parts of the Greek version) has come down to us in a bacl
condition, incorrect, and with frequent omissions and interpolations :
and so very erroneous was the version of Daniel, that it was totally
rejected by the antient church, and Theodotion's translation was
substituted for it. Some fragments of the Septuagint version of
Daniel, which for a long time was supposed to have "been lost, were
discovered and published at Rome in 1772, from which it appears
that its author had but an imperfect knowledge of the Hebrew
language.
No date has been assigned for the translation of the books of
Judges, Ruth, Samuel, and Kings, which appear to have been ex-
ecuted by, one and the same author; who though he does not make
use of so_many Hebraisms as the translators of the other books, is
yet not without his peculiarities.
3. Before we conclude the history of the Septuagint version, it
may not be irrelevant briefly to notice a question which has greatly
exercised the ingenuity of biblical philologers, viz. from what MANU-
SCRIPTS did the seventy interpreters execute their translation?
Professor Tyschen 1 has offered an hypothesis that they did not*
translate the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek, but that it has been
transcribed in Hebrauo- Greek characters, and that from this tran-
script their version was made: this hypothesis has been examined by
II. Sect. IL] The Septuagint Greek Torsion. 45
several German critics, and by none with more acumen than by
Dathe, in the preface to his Latin version of the minor prophets ] :
but as the arguments are not of a nature to admit of abridgment,
this notice may perhaps suffice. The late eminently learned Bishop
Horsley doubts whether the manuscripts from which the Septuagint
version w r as made, would (if now extant) be entitled to the same
degree of credit as our modern Hebrew text, notwithstanding their
comparatively high antiquity. "There is," he observes, "certainly
much reason to believe, that after the destruction of the temple by
Nebuchadnezzar, perhaps from a somewhat earlier period, the He-
brew text was in a much worse state of corruption in the copies
which were in private hands, than it has ever been since the revision
of the sacred books by Ezra. These inaccurate copies would be
multiplied during the whole period of the captivity, and widely scat-
tered in Assyria, Persia, and Egypt; in short, through all the
regions of the dispersion. The text, as revised by Ezra, was cer-
tainly of much higher credit than any of these copies, notwithstand-
ing their greater antiquity. His edition succeeded, as it were, to the
privileges of an autograph (the autographs of the inspired writers
themselves being totally lost), and was henceforth to be considered
as the only source of authentic text: insomuch that the comparative
merit of any text now extant will depend upon the probable degree
of its approximation to, or distance from, the Esdrine edition. Nay,
if the translation of the LXX was made from some of those old ma-
nuscripts which the dispersed Jews had carried into Egypt, or from
any other of those unauthenticated copies (which is the prevailing
tradition among the Jews and is very probable, at least it cannot be
confuted) ; it will be likely that the faultiest manuscript now extant
differs less from the genuine Esdrine text, than those more antient,
which the version of the LXX represents. But, much as this con-
sideration lowers the credit of the LXX separately, for any various
reading, it adds great weight to the consent of the LXX with later
versions, and greater still to the consent of the eld versions with
manuscripts of the Hebrew, which still survive. And, as it is cer-
tainly possible that a true reading may be preserved in one solitary
manuscript, it will follow, that a true reading may be preserved in
one version : for the manuscript which contained the true reading
at the time when the version was made, may have perished since ;
so that no evidence of the reading shall now remain, but the
version ." *
The Septuagint version, though originally made for the use of the
Egyptian Jews, gradually acquired the highest authority among tbe
Jews of Palestine, who were acquainted with the Greek language,
and subsequently also among Christians : it appears, indeed, that the
legend above confuted of the translators having been divinely inspired,
was invented in order that the LXX might be held in the greater esti-
mation, Philo the Jew, a native of Egypt, has evidently followed it in
his allegorical expositions of the Mosaic law : and, though Dr. Hody
i Published at Halle, in 1790, in 8vo.
a Bishop Horsle/s Translation of Hosea, Pnef. pp. xxxvi, xx^yii, Sdedit.
46 Antient Versions of the Old Testament. [Part L Ch.
was of opinion that Josephus, who was a native of Palestine,, cor-
roborated his work on Jewish Antiquities from the Hebrew text,
yet Saimasius ? Bochart, Bauer, and others, have shown that he has
adhered to the Septuagint throughout that work. How extensively
this version was in use among the Jews, appears from the solemn
sanction given to it by the inspired writers of the New Testament,,
who have in very many passages quoted the Greek version of the
Old Testament. 1 Their example was followed by the earlier fathers
and doctors of the church, who, with the exception of Origen and
Jerome, were unacquainted with Hebrew : notwithstanding their zeal
for the word of God, they did not exert themselves to learn the ori-
ginal language of the sacred writings, but acquiesced in the Greek
representation of them; judging it, no doubt, to be fully sufficient for
all the purposes of their pious labours* " The Greek Scriptures were
the only Scriptures known to or valued by the Greeks. This was the
text commented by Chrysostom and Theodoret; it was this which
furnished topics to Athanasius, Nazianzen, and Basil. From this
fountain the stream was derived to the Latin church, first, by the
Italic or Vulgate translation of the Scriptures* which was made from
the Septuagint, and not from the Hebrew; and, secondly, by the
study of the Greek fathers. It was by this borrowed light, that the
Latin fathers illuminated the western hemisphere: and, when the
age of Cyprian, Ambrose, Augustine, and Gregory successively
passed away, this was the light put into the hands of the next dynasty
of theologists, the schoolmen, who carried on the work of theological
disquisition by the aid of this luminary and none other. So that,
either in Greek or in Latin, it was still the Septuagint Scriptures
that were read, explained, and quoted as authority, for a period of
fifteen hundred years." 2
The Septuagint version retained its authority, even with the rulers
of the Jewish synagogue, until the commencement of the first cen-
tury after Christ: when the Jews, being unable to resist the aie<m-
ments^from prophecy which were urged against them by the Chris-
tians, in order to deprive them of the benefit of that authority, be^an
to deny that it agreed with the Hebrew text. Further to discredit
the character of the Septuagint, the Jews instituted a solemn fast on
the 8th day of the month Thebet (December), to execrate the me-
mory of its having been made. Not satisfied with this measure, we
are assured by Justin Martyr, who lived in the former part of the
second century, that they proceeded to expunge several passages
out of the Septuagint; and abandoning this, adopted the version of
Aquia^a proselyte Jew of Sinope, a city of Pontus 3 : this is the
translation mentioned in the Talmud and not the Septuagint, with
which it has been confounded. 4 * D '
4. The great use, however, which had been made by the Jews
' On the quotations from the Old Testament in the New, sec
' Hebrew and Greek ntB of the
3 n ree B o te s, PP **
II. Sect. II.] The Septuagint Greek Version. '"4.7
previously to their rejection of the Septuagint, and the constant use
of it by the Christians, would naturally cause a multiplication of
copies; in which, besides the alterations designedly made by the
Jews, numerous errors became introduced, in the course of time,
from the negligence or inaccuracy of transcribers, and from glosses
or marginal notes, which had been added for the explanation of
difficult words, being suffered to creep into the text. In order to
remedy this growing evil, OJR.IGEN, in the early part of the third
century, undertook the laborious task of collating the Greek text
then in use with the original Hebrew and with other Greek transla-
tions then extant, and from the whole to produce a new recension or
revisal. Twenty-eight years were devoted to the preparation of this
arduous work, in the course of which he collected manuscripts from
every possible quarter, aided (it is said) by the pecuniary liberality
of Ambrose, an opulent man, whom he had converted from the Va-
lentinian heresy, and with the assistance of seven copyists and several
persons skilled in caligraphy, or the art of beautiful writing, Origen
commenced his labour at Caesarea, A. D. 231 ; and, it appears, finished
his Polyglott at Tyre, but in what year is not precisely known.
This noble critical work is designated by various names among
antient writers ; as Tetrapla, Hexapla^ Octapla, and JLnneapla.
The Tetrapld) contained the four Greek versions of Aquila, Sym-
machus, the Septuagint, and Theodotion, disposed in four columns 1 :
to these he added two columns more, containing the Hebrew text in
its original characters, and also in Greek letters ; these six columns,
according to Epiphanius, formed the Hexapla. Having subsequently
discovered two other Greek versions of some parts of the Scriptures,
usually called the fifth and sixth,* he added them to the preceding,
inserting them in their respective places, and thus composed the
Octapla ; and a separate translation of the Psalms, usually called the
seventh version, being afterwards added, the entire work has by some
been termed the Enneapla. This appellation, however, was never
generally adopted. But, as the two editions made by Origen gene-
rally bore the name of the Tetrapla and Hexapla, Dr. Grabe
thinks that they were thus called, not from the number of the co-
lumns, but of the versions, which were six, the seventh containing
the Psalms only. 2 Bauer, after Montfaucon, is of opinion, that
Origen edited only the Tetvapla and Hexapla ; and this appears to-
be the real fact. The following specimens from Montfaucon will
convey an idea of the construction of these two laborious works. 3
1 The late Rev. Dr. Holmes, who commenced the splendid edition of the Septuagint
noticed in pp. 37, 38. of the Appendix to this volume, was of opinion that the first column
of the Tetrapla, contained the KOWTJ, or Septuagint text commonly in use, collated with
Hebrew manuscripts by Origen, and that the other three columns were occupied by
the versions of Aquila, Syrnmachus, and Theodotion.
'J Dr. Holmes thinks that the text of the Septuagint In the Hexapla was not the
KO/T? as then in use, but as corrected in the Tetrapla, and perhaps improved by further
collations.
3 Origenis Hexapla, Pncl. Diss, torn, i, p. 16,
48
Versions of the Old Testament. [Part I. Cli.
TETRAPLA.
Gen.i. 1.
AKTAAS,
5 &eos <rvv rov ovpwov
KKI
2TMMAXO2,
Ey ct/3X?7 eicrurev 6
freos vw ovpavov /cat
01 0.
3eos rov ovpavov nai
Tf]V *ft\V.
EOAOTinN.
In this specimen the version of Aquila holds the first place, as being
most literal; the second is occupied by that of Symmachus, as ren-
dering adsensum rather than ad literam ,- the third by the beptuagmt,
and the fourth by Theodotion's translation.
ffi
x
S
ffi
II, Sect. II.] The Septuagint Greeft Version. $9
The original Hebrew being considered as the basis of the whole
work, the proximity of each translation to the text, in point of close-
ness and fidelity, determined its rank in the order of the columns :
thus Aquila's version, being the most faithful, is placed next to the
sacred text; that of Symmachus occupies the fourth column; the
Septuagint, the fifth; and Theodotion's, the sixth. The other three
anonymous translations, not containing the entire books of the Old
Testament, were placed, in the three last columns of the Enneapla,
according to the order of time in which they were discovered by
Origen,, Where the same words occurred in all the other Greek
versions, without being particularly specified, Origen designated them
by A or AO, Ao*7roi, the rest; O* F, or the three, denoted Aquila,
Symmachus, and Theodotion ; Oi A, or the four, signified Aquila,
Symmachus, the Septuagint, and Theodotion; and IT, TIav>rs$ 9 all
the interpreters.
The object of Origen being to correct the differences found in the
then existing copies of the Old Testament, he carefully noted the al-
terations made by him ; and for the information of those who might
consult his work, he made use of the following marks : B
1 . Where any passages appeared in the Septuagint, that were not
found in the Hebrew, he designed them by an obelus -f- with two
4,>old points : also annexed. This mark was also used to denote
words not extant in the Hebrew, but added by the Septuagint trans-
lators, either for the sake of elegance, or for the purpose of illus-
trating the sense.
2. To passages wanting in the copies of the Septuagint, and
supplied by himself from the other Greek versions, he prefixed an
asterisk x - with two bold points : also annexed, in order that his addi-
tions migfct be immediately perceived. These supplementary passages,
we are informed by Jerome, were for the most part taken from Theo-
dotion's translation; not unfrequently from that of Aquila; some-
times, though rarely, from the version of Symmachus ; and sometimes
from two or three together. But, in every case, the initial letter of
each translator's name was placed immediately after the asterisk, to
indicate the source whence such supplementary passage was taken.
And in lieu of the very erroneous Septuagint version of Daniel,
Theodotion's translation of that book was inserted entire.
3. Further, not only the passages wanting in the Septuagint were
supplied by Origen with the asterisks, as above noticed ; but also
where that version does not appear accurately to express the He-
brew original, having noted the former reading with an obelus, -T-,
he added the correct rendering from one of the other translators,
with an asterisk subjoined. Concerning the shape and uses of the
l&nniscits and /iypolcmniscus 9 two other marks used by Origen, there
is so great a difference of opinion among learned men, that it is
difficult to determine what they were. 1 Dr. Owen, after Mont-
1 Montfaucon, Prtnlim, ad tlexapla, tom.i. pp.36 42. Holmes, Vetus Testamen-
tum Gracum, loin. i. Pratfat. cap. i. sect, i.~ vii. The first book of Dr. Holmes's
erudite preface is translated into English in the Christian Observer for 1S21, vol. xx,
pp. 544548, 61QU-CI5, C7C 683, 74G 70
VOL, U, E
50 Antient Versions of the Old Testament. [Part I. Ch.
faucon, supposes them to have been marks of better and more ac-
curate renderings.
In the Pentateuch, Origen compared the Samaritan text with the
Hebrew as received by the Jews, and noted their differences. To
each of the translations inserted in his Hexapla was prefixed an
account of the author; each had its separate prolegomena; and the
ample margins were filled with notes. A few fragments of these
prolegomena and marginal annotations have been preserved ; but
nothing remains of his history of the Greek versions. l
Since Origen's time, biblical critics have distinguished two editions
or exemplars of the Septuagint the KOIVT] or common text, with all
its errors and imperfections, as it existed previously to his collation ;
and the Hexaplar text, or that corrected by Origen himself. For
nearly fifty years was this great man's stupendous work buried in a
corner of the city of Tyre, probably on account of the very great ex-
pense of transcribing forty or fifty volumes, which far exceeded the
means of private individuals : and here, perhaps, it might have pe-
rished in oblivion, if Eusebius and Pamphilus had not discovered it,
and deposited it in the library of Pamphilus the martyr at Csesarea,
where Jerome saw it about the middle of the fourth century. As we
have no account whatever of Origen's autograph, after this time, it is
most probable that it perished in the year 653, on the capture of that
city by the Arabs : and a few imperfect fragments, collected from ma-
nuscripts of the Septuagint and the Catense of the Greek fathers, are
all that now remain of a work, which in the present improved state of
sacred literature would most eminently have assisted in the interpret-
ation and criticism of the ''Old Testament.
5. As the Septuagint version had been read in the church from the
commencement of Christianity, so it continued to be used in most of
the Greet churches: and the text, as corrected by Origen, was tran-
scribed for their use, together with his critical marks. Hence, in the
progress of time, from the negligence or inaccuracy of copyists, nume-
rous errors were introduced into this version, which rendered a new
revisal necessary ; and, as all the Greek churches did not receive
Origan's biblical labours with equal deference, three principal recen-
sions were undertaken nearly at the same time, of which we are now
to offer a brief notice.
The first was the edition, undertaken by Eusebius and Pamphilus
about the year 300, from the Hexaplar text, with the whole of Ori-
gen's critical marks : it was not only adopted by the churches of Pa-
lestme, but was also deposited in almost every library. By frequent
i The best edition, unhappily very rare, of the remains of Origen's Hexapla, is that of
Montfaucon f< m two volumes, folio, Paris, 1713. The first volume contains a very va-
luable preliminary disquisition on the Hebrew text and different antient Greek versions, of
why* we have liberally availed ourselves in the preceding and following pages together
OrLn nu V cc . oullt of Origen's biblical labours, and some inedited fragments of
Ungen, &c. To these succeed the remains of the Hexapla, from Genesis to the book of
rauns inclusive, The second volume comprises the rest of the Hexapla to the end of
the twelve minor prophets^ together with Greek and Hebrew Lexicons to the Hexapla.
bv P P r??! 1 ^ i gen !.?"** work were reprinted in two vols. 8vo. (Lipsiw, 1769,)
Dy i_, J?. jjaftrdt; whose edition has been most severely criticised by Fischer in his Pro-
Jusiones ue Versiombus Gra>iic T.ihvnrmvi \r T T :**,, ..,,,, T.T \ %.-- .
Juicieiai um Jriebr.
II. Sect. II.] The Septuagint Greek Version. 51
transcriptions, however, Origen's marks or notes became, in the course
of a few yearsj so much changed, as to be of little use 3 and were finally
omitted : this omission only augmented the evil, since even in the time
of Jerome it was no longer possible to know what belonged to the
translators, or what were Origen's own corrections ; and now it may
almost be considered as a hopeless task to distinguish between them.
Contemporary with the edition of Eusebius and Pamphilus was the
recension of the Ko/yij, or vulgate text of the Septuagint, conducted
by Lucian, a presbyter of the church at Antioch, who suffered mar-
tyrdom A. D. 311. He took the Hebrew text for the basis of his
edition, which was received in all the eastern churches from Con-
stantinople to Antioch. While Lucian was prosecuting his biblical
labours, Hesychius, an Egyptian bishop, undertook a similar work,
which was generally received in the churches of Egypt. He is sup-
posed to have introduced fewer alterations than Lucian ; and his edi-
tion is cited by Jerome as the Exemplar Alexandrinum. Syncellus 1
mentions another revisal of the Septuagint text by Basil bishop of
Caesarea : but this, we have every reason to believe, has long since
perished. All the manuscripts of the Septuagint now extant, as well
as the printed editions, are derived from the three recensions above
mentioned, although biblical critics are by no means agreed what
particular recension each manuscript has followed. 2
6, The importance of the Septuagint version for the right under- "
standing of the sacred text, has been variously estimated by different
learned men ; while some have elevated it to an equality with the
original Hebrew, others have rated it far below its real value. The
great authority which it formerly enjoyed, certainly gives it a ^ claim
to a high degree of consideration. It was executed long before the
Jews were prejudiced against Jesus Christ as the Messiah ; and it
was the means of preparing the world at large for his appearance, by
making known the types and prophecies concerning him. With all
its faults and imperfections, therefore, this version is of more use in
correcting the Hebrew text than any other that is extant ; because
its authors had better opportunities of knowing the propriety and
extent of the Hebrew language, than we can possibly have at this
distance of time. The Septuagint, likewise, being written in the same
dialect us the New Testament (the formation of whose style was in-
fluenced by it), it becomes a very important source of interpretation :
lor riot only does it frequently serve to determine the genuine read-
ing, but also to ascertain the meaning of particular idiomatic expres-
sions and passages in the New Testament, the true import of which
could not be known but from their use in the Septuagint. 13 Grotius,
Keuchenius, Biol, and Schleusner, are the critics who have most suc-
cessfully applied this version to theinterpretationof the New Testament*
i Chronographia nb adamo usque ad Dioclcsiannm, p, 203.
* Dr, Holmes has given a copious and interesting account of the additions of Lucian
and Ilesydiiiis, and of tlie sources of the Septuagint toyt in the manuscripts of the Pen-
tateuch, which arc now extant. Tom. i, I'raof. cap. i. sect, viii. et seq.
9 In the Eclectic Review for 1BOG (vol if. parti, pp. 3.'J7 iM7.) the reader will find
many examples adduced, confirming the remarks above offered, concerning the value and
importance of the Septuagint version.
E 2
52 Antient Versions of the Old Testament. [Part L Ch.
II. The importance of the Septuagint, in the criticism and inter-
pretation of the Scriptures, especially of the New Testament } 9 will
justify the length of the preceding account of that celebrated version :
it now remains that we briefly notice the other antient Greek trans-
lations, which have already been incidentally mentioned ; viz. those of
Aquila, Theodotion, Symmachus, and the three anonymous versions,,
usually cited as the fifth, sixth, and seventh versions, from which
Origen compiled his Tetrapla and Hexapla.
1. The Version ofAguiLA. The author of this translation was
a native of Sinope in Pontus, who flourished in the second century of
the Christian asra : he was of Jewish descent; and having renounced
Christianity, he undertook his version to oblige the Jews, who then
began to be disgusted with the Septuagint, as being too paraphrastic.
It is certain that he lived during the reign of the emperor Adrian,
and that his translation was executed before the year 160; as it is
cited both by Justin Martyr, who wrote about that time, and by
Irenseus between the years 170 and 176. The version of Aquila is
extremely literal, and is made without any regard to the genius of the
Greek language : it is, however, of considerable importance iu the
criticism of the Old Testament, as it serves to show the readings
contained in the Hebrew MSS. of his time. Professor Dathe has
collated several passages from this translation, and has applied them
to the illustration of the prophet Hosea. a , The fragments of Aquila
and of the other Greek versions were collected and published, first
by Flaminio Nobili, in his notes to the Roman edition of the Septua-
gint, and after him by Drusius, in his Veterum Interpretum Gracorum
Fragmenta (Arnheim, 1622, 4-to.) 3 ; and also by Montfaucon in his
edition of Origen's Hexapla above noticed. According to Jerome,
Aquila published two editions of his version, the second of which was
the most literal : it was allowed to be read publicly in the Jews' syna-
gogues, by the hundred and twenty-fifth Novel of the emperor Justinian.
2, THEODOTION was a native of Ephesus, and is termed by Jerome
and Eusebius an Ebionite or semi- Christian. He was nearly con-
temporary with Aquila, and his translation is cited by Justin Martyr,
in his Dialogue with Tryphon the Jew, which was composed about
the year 160. The version of Theoclotion holds a middle rank be-
1 The Book," says the profound critic Michaelis, " most necessary to be read and
understood by every man who studies the New Testament, is, without doubt, the Sen*
tuagint ; which alone has been of more service than all the passages from the profane
authors collected together. It should be read in the public schools by those who are
destined for the church ; should form the subject of a course of lectures at the university
u x? the constant companion of an expositor of the New Testament." Introduction to
the New Test, vol. i. p. 177, "About the year 1785," says Dr. A. Clarke (speak-
ing of his biblical labours), " I began to read the Septuagint regularly, in order to
acquaint myself more fully with the phraseology of the New Testament, The study of this
version served more to expand and illuminate my mind than all the theological works I had
ever consulted. I had proceeded but a short way in it, before I was convinced that the
prejudices against it were utterly unfounded 5 and that it was of incalculable advantage
towards a proper understanding if the literal sense of Scripture. 11 Dr. Clarke's Com-
mentary, vol. i. General Preface, p. xv.
i*L Di !!! er ? tio hilol g ko - Cri t'ca in Aquite Reliquias Interpretation is Hose*, (Linda.
3757, 4to); which is reprinted in p.,1. et seq. of Rosenmiiller's Collection of his
Opuscula ad Crisin et Interpretationem Veteris Testament!/' Lipsfas, 1796, 8vo,
a Ihis work of Drusius's is also to be found in the sixth volume of Bishop Walton's
1 olygtott. *
IL Sect. II.] Versions of Symmachus and others. 53
tween the servile closeness of Aquilaand the freedom of Symmachus
it is a kind of revision of the Septuagint made after the original He-
brew, and supplies some deficiencies in the Septuagint; but where he
translates without help, he evidently shows himself to have been but
indifferently skilled in Hebrew. Theodotion 's translation of the
book of Daniel was introduced into the Christian churches, as being
deemed more accurate than that of the Septuagint.
3. SYMMACHUS, we are informed by Eusebius and Jerome, was a
semi-Christian, or Ebionite : for the account given of him by Epi-
phanius, (that he was first a Samaritan, then a Jew, next a Christian,
and last of all an Ebionite,) is generally disregarded as unworthy of
credit. Concerning the precise time when he flourished, learned men
are of different opinions. Epiphanius places him under the reign of
Commodus II. an imaginary emperor : Jerome, however, expressly
states, that his translation appealed after that of Theodotion: and as
Uymmachus was evidently unknown to Irenasus, who cites the ver-
sions of Aquila and Theodotion, it is probable that the date assigned
by Jerome is the true one. Montfaucon accordingly places Symma-
chus a short lime after Theodotion, that is, about the year 200. The
version of Symmachus, who appears to have published a second edi-
tion of it revised, is by no moans so literal as that of Aquila; he was
certainly nnich better acquainted with the laws of interpretation than
the latter, and has endeavoured, not unsuccessfully, to render the
Hebrew idioms with Greek precision. Bauer l and Morus a have
given specimens of the utility of this version for illustrating both the
Old and New Testaments, Dr. Owen has printed the whole of the
first chapter of the book of Genesis according to the Septuagint ver-
sion, together with the Greek translations of Aquila, Theodotion, and
Symmachus, in columns, in order to show their respective agreement
or discrepancy. This we are obliged to omit, on account of its length ;
but the following observations of that eminent critic on their relative
merits (founded' on an accurate comparison of them with each other,
and with the original Hebrew, whence they were made,) are too va~
luublo to be disregarded. He remarks,
1. With respect to Aquila, (1) That his translation is close and
servile abounding in Hebraisms and scrupulously conformable to
the letter of the text (2) That the author, notwithstanding he meant
to disgrace and overturn the version of the Seventy, yet did not scruple
to make use of it, and frequently to borrow bis expressions from it.
2. With respect to Theodotion^ (1) That he makes great use of the.
two former versions following sometimes the diction of the one,
and sometimes that of the other nay, often commixing them both
together in the compass of one and the same verse ; and, (2) That he
did not keep so strictly and closely to the version of the Seventy, as
some have unwarily represented. 3 He borrowed largely from that of
Aquila; but adapted it to his own style.' And as his style was similar
i Critica Sacro, pp. 277, 278. " Acroases Hcrmcneuticre, torn. ii. pp, 127, 128,
9 Thcodotion, qui in croforis cum Ixx traittlatoribng facit. Hicron. Ep. ad Marc. oil.
Licet Aiitem Thoodolio Ixv, Interprotmn vcstigio fore semper liicrctit, &c. Monlf. Pracl,
iu lloxapl* p. 57,
h J
54. Antient Versions of the Old Testament. [Part I. Ch.
to that of the LXX, Origen, perhaps for the sake of uniformity, supplied
the additions inserted in the Hexapla chiefly from this Version.
3. With respect to Symmachiis^ (1) That his version, though con-
cise, is free and paraphrastic regarding the sense, rather than the
words, of the original; (&) That he often borrowed from the three
other versions but much oftener from those of his immediate pre-
decessors, than from the Septuagint; and, (3) It is observed by Mont-
faucon \ that he kept close to the Hebrew original ; and never intro-
duced any thing from the Septuagint, that was not to be found in his
Hebrew copy : but it evidently appears from verse 20. where we
read, xcu sysvero ovrwc that either the observation is false, or that
the copy he used was different from the present Hebrew copies.
The 30th verse has also a reading it may perhaps be an inter-
polation to which there is nothing answerable in the Hebrew, or
in any other of the Greek versions. 2
4 5 5 3 (j. The three anonymous translations, usually called the
fifth, sixth) and seventh versions, derive their names from the order in
which Origen disposed them in his columns. The author of the sixth
version was evidently a Christian: for he renders Habakkuk iii. 13.
{Thou wentest forth for the deliverance of thy people, evenjfo 1 the deli-
verance of thine anointed ones 3 ,) in the following manner : EijA0ss rov
(Twa-ai TOV Aotov croy ;# lyjcrou roy Xgjorou crou ; i, e. Thou wentcst forth to
save thy people through Jestis tliij Christ* The dates of these three
versions are evidently subsequent to those of Aquila, Theodotion,
and Symmachus : from the fragments collected by Montfaucon, it
appears that they all contained the Psalms and minor prophets ; the
jjfth and sixth further ,comprised the Pentateuch and Song of Solomon;
and from some fragments of the Jifth and seventh versions found by
Brans in a Syriac Hexaplar manuscript at Paris, it appears that they
also contained the two books of Kings. Bauer is of opinion that the
author of the seventh version was a Jew.
III. Besides the fragments of the preceding antient versions, taken
from Origen's Hexapla, there are found in the margins of the manu-
scripts of the Septuagint some additional marks or notes, containing
various renderings in Greek of some passages in the Old Testament :
these are cited as the Hebrew, Syrian, Samaritan, and Hellenistic
versions, and as the version of some anonymous author. The probable
meaning of these references it may not be improper briefly to notice.
1. The Hebrew (o E/S^aioj) is supposed by some to
(o E/S^aioj) is supposed by some to denote the
translation of Aquila, who closely and literally followed the Hebrew
text: but this idea was refuted by Montfaucon and Bauer, who remark,
that after the reference to the Hebrew, a reading follows, most
widely differing from Aquila's rendering. Bauer more probably
1 Ea tamen cautela ut Hebraicum exemplar unicum sequcndum sibi proponeret j nee
quklpiam ex editione TU>V O. ubi cum Hebraico non quadrabat, in interpretationem suara
refunderet. Praelim. in Hexap], p. 54.
2 Owen on the Septuagmt, pp. 124 126.
3 Archbishop Newcome's version. The authorised English translation runs thus :
te Thou wentest forth for the s.alvatiou of thy people, even for the salvation of thine
anointed."
II. Sect, II.] Various Antient Greek Versions. . 55
conjectures, that the reference o Efyaiog denotes the Hebrew text
from which the Septuagint version differs.
2. Under the name of the Syrian (5 Su^os) are intended the
fragments of the Greek version made by Sophronius, patriarch of
Constantinople, from the very popular Latin translation of Jerome,
who is supposed to have acquired the appellation of the Syrian,
from his long residence on the confines of Syria. He is thus ex-
pressly styled by Theodore of Mopsuestia in a passage cited by
Photius in his Bibliotheca. 1
3. The Samaritan (TO 2a/x,apmxoy) is supposed to refer to the
fragments of a Greek version of the Hebroso- Samaritan text, which
is attributed to the ancient Greek scholiast so often cited by Flami-
nio Nobili, and in the Greek Scholia appended to the Roman edition
of the Septuagint. Considerable doubts, however, exist concerning *
the identity of this supposed Greek version of the Samaritan text;
which, if it ever existed, Bishop Walton thinks, must be long pos-
terior in date to the Septuagint. 2
4. It is not known to which version or author the citation,
6 EAA^mos, or the Hellenic, refers : the mark 6 AAAoj, or
6 Ai/e7nypaipo, denotes some unknown author.
Before we conclude the present account of the antient Greek
versions of the Old Testament, it remains that we briefly notice the
translation preserved in St. Mark's Library at Venice, containing
the Pentateuch, Proverbs, Ruth, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes,
Lamentations of Jeremiah, and Prophecy of Daniel. The existence
of this version, which was for a long time buried among other liter-
ary treasures deposited in the above-mentioned library, was first
announced by Zanetti and Bongiovanni in their catalogue of its
manuscripts. The Pentateuch was published in three parts, by
M. Ammon, at Erlang, 1790, 1791, 6vo. : and the remaining boofes by
M. Villoison at Strasburgh, 1 784, Svo. The original manuscript, Mo-
relli is of opinion, was executed in the 14th century ; and the numer-
ous errors discoverable in it prove that it cannot be the autograph
of the translator. By whom this version was made, is a question
yet undetermined. Morelli thinks its author was a Jew ; Ammon
supposes him to have been a Christian monk, and perhaps a native
of Syria of the eighth or ninth century ; and Bauer, after Zeigler,
conjectures him to have been a Christian grammarian of Constan-
tinople, who had been taught Hebrew by a Western Jew. Who-
ever the translator was, his style evidently shows him to have been
deeply skilled in the different dialects of the Greek language, and
to have been conversant with the Greek poets. Equally uncertain
is the date when this version was composed : Eichhorn, Bauer, and
several other eminent biblical writers, place it between the sixth and
tenth centuries : the late Dr. Holmes supposed the author of it to
have been some Hellenistic Jew, between the ninth and twelfth cen-
turies. " Nothing can be more completely happy, or more judi-
cious, than the idea adopted by this author, of rendering the Hebrew
1 Pape 205. edit, HoesclwHi. 2 Frol, c. xi. 22. pp. 553, 554.
56 Antient Versions of the Old and New Testaments. [Part I. Ch.
text in the pure Attic dialect, and the Chaldee Jri its corresponding
Doric." 1 Dr. Holmes has inserted extracts from this version in
his edition of the Septuagint, 2
SECTION III.
ON THE ANTIENT ORIENTAL VERSIONS OF THE OLD AND.NEtV
TESTAMENTS.
I. SYRIAC VERSIONS, 1. Peschito or Literal Version. 2. Philoxcnian
Version. 3. Syro-Estrangelo, and Paltcstino- Syriac Version* II.
EGYPTIAN VERSIONS. Coptic, Sahidic, Am mo titan, and J3nstnuric.
III. ETHIOPIC VERSION. IV. ARABIC VERSIONS. V. ARMENIAN-
VERSION. VI. PERSIC VERSIONS.
I. SYRIAC VERSIONS. Syria being visited at a very early period
by the preachers of the Christian faith, several translations of the sa-
cred volume were made into the language of that country.
1. The most celebrated of these is the PESCHITO or
sio SIMPLEX), as it is usually called, on account of its very close
adherence to the Hebrew and Greek texts, from which it was im-
mediately made. The most extravagant assertions have been ad-
vanced concerning its antiquity ; some referring the translation of
the Old Testament to the time of Solomon and Hiram, while others
ascribe it to Asa, priest of the Samaritans, and a third class to the
apostle Thaddeus. This last tradition is received by the Syrian
churches; but a more recent date is ascribed to it by modern bibli-
cal philologers. Bishop Walton, Carpzov, Leusden/Bishop Lowth,
and Dr. Kennicott, fix its date to the first century ; Bauer and some
other German critics, to the second or third century ; Jahn fixes it,
at the latest, to the second century ; De Rossi pronounces it to bo
very antient, but does not specify any precise, date. The most pro-
i British Critic, O. S. vol. viii. p. 259.
* The preceding account of antient Greek versions is drawn from Carpzov, Critica
Sacra; pp, 552574. ; Bauer, Critica Sacra, pp. 273 2SS. ; Morus, Acroases Hcnnc-
neuticaj, torn. ii. pp.120 147.; Bishop Walton, Prolegom. c. ix. 19, pp.385 387,;
Jahn, Introductio in Libros Sacros Veteris Foederis, pp. 6670. ; and Masch's edition of
Lelong's Bibliotheca Sacra, partii. vol. ii. sect.i. pp. 220229. Montfaucon, Pro4.
Diss. ad Origenis Hexapla, torn. i. pp. 4673. In the fourth volume of the Commcn-
tationes Theologies?, (pp, 195263.) edited by MM. Velthusen, Kuinoel, and ttupertf,
there is a specimen of a Clavis Eeliquiarum Versionum Grcecarum, V. T. by John Fre-
deric Fischer: it contains only the letter A. A specimen of a new Lexicon to the antient
Greek interpreters, and also to the apocryphal books of the Old Testament, so constructed
as to serve as a Lexicon to the New Testament, was also lately published by M. E. G. A.
Bockel, at Leipsic, intitled Nova Clavis in Gr&cas Interprets Veteris Testament^ Scrip,
taresque Apocrypha*, ita adornatCB ut etiam Lexici in Wovi Fcederis Libras iisum pr&lere
possit, atque editwnis fas interprctum kexaptoris, specimina, 4to. 1820, Cappel, in his
' Critica Sacra, has given a copious account, with very numerous examples, of the various
lections that may be obtained by collating the Septuagint with the Hebrew (lib. iv,
pp. 4917660' an <* ^ collating the Hebrew text with the Chaldee paraphrases and
the antient Greek versions (lib, v. cc. 1 6. pp. 707844.)^ torn. ii. cd. ScharOnber*.
II. Sect. III.] Syriac Versions. 57
bable opinion is that of Michaelis 1 , who ascribes the Syriac version
of both Testaments to the close of the first, or to the earlier part of
the second century, at which time the Syrian churches flourished
most, and the Christians at Edessa had a temple for divine worship
erected after the model of that at Jerusalem : and it is not to be sup-
posed that they would be without a version of the Old Testament,
the reading of which had been introduced by the apostles. The
Syriac version of the New Testament certainly must have been exe-
cuted previously to the third century, because the text which it fol-
lows, according to Professor Hug, does not harmonise with the
recension adopted by the churches of Palestine and Syria, subse-
quently to the third century. 2 It is independent, it belongs to no
family, and sometimes presents the aiatient and peculiar readings
of the Vetm Itala^ or Old Italic version, or those occurring in the
Codex Cantabrigiensis.
The Old Testament was evidently translated from the Original
Hebrew, to which it most closely and literally adheres, with the ex-
ception of a few passages which appear to bear some affinity to the
Septuagint : Jahn accounts for this by supposing, either that this
version was consulted by the Syriac translator or translators, or that
the Syrians afterwards corrected their translation by the Septuagint.
Leusden conjectures, that the translator did not make use of the
most correct Hebrew manuscripts, and has given some examples
which appear to support his opinion. Dathe, however, speaks most
positively in favour of its antiquity and fidelity, and refers to the
Syriac version, as a certain standard by which we may judge of the
state of the Hebrew text in the second century: and both Dr. Kennicott
and Professor De Rossi have derived many valuable readings from this
version. De Rossi, indeed, prefers it to all the other antient ver-
sions, and says, that it closely follows the order of the sacred text,
rendering word for word, and is more pure than any other. As it is
therefore probable that the Syriac version was made about the end
of the first century, it might be made from Hebrew MSS. almost as
old as those which were before transcribed into Greek, and from
MSS. which might be in some places true where the others werecor-
ru'pted. And it will be no wonder at all, if a version so very antient
should have preserved a 'great variety of true readings, where the
Hebrew manuscripts were corrupted afterwards. Dr. Boothroyd
considers this version to be as antient, and in many respects as valu-
able, as the Chaldee Paraphrase 3 : and in the notes to his edition of
the Hebrew Bible he was shown that this version has retained nu-
merous and important various readings. To its general fidelity
almost every critic 'of note bears unqualified approbation, although it
1 Iiitrod. to New. Test, vol. ii. part, i, pp, 29 38, Bishop Marsh, however, in his
notes, has controverted the arguments of Michaelis, (ibid, part, ii, pp, 551 554.) which
have been rendered highly probable by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Laurence, (Dissertation upon
the Logos, pp. 67 75.) who has examined and refuted the Bishop of Peterborough's
objections.
ft Hug's Introcl. to the New Test vol. i. pp. 357 SiTO, CflK'rier, In I roil, an Nouv-
Teat. p. 175.
1 IJibliu Hebraica, vol. i> Pref. pp. xv. xvi.
58 Antient Versions of the Old and New Testaments. [Part I. Ch.
is not every where equal : and it is remarkably clear and strong in
those passages which attribute characters of Deity to the Messiah.
Jahn observes, that a different method of interpretation is adopted
in the Pentateuch from that which 1 is to be found in the Book of
Chronicles; and that there are some Chaldee words in the first chap-
ter of Genesis, and also in the Book of Ecclesiastes and the Song of
Solomon : whence he infers that this version was the work not of
one, but of several authors. The arguments prefixed to the Psalms
were manifestly written by a Christian author. x The Syriac version
of the New Testament comprises only the four Gospels, the Acts of
the Apostles, the Epistles of Saint Paul (including the Epistle^to the
Hebrews), the first Epistle of Saint John, Saint Peter's first Epistle,,
and the Epistle of Saint James. The celebrated passage in 1 John
v. 7., and the history of the woman taken in adultery (John viii.
2 11 Os are both wanting. All the Christian sects in Syria and
the East make use of this version exclusively, which they hold in the
highest estimation. Michaelis pronounces it to be the very best
translation of the Greek Testament which he ever read, for the gene-
ral ease, elegance, and fidelity with which it has been executed. It
retains,* however* many Greek words, which might have been easily
and correctly expressed in Syriac : in Matt, xxvii. alone there are
not fewer than eleven words. In like manner some Latin words
have been retained which the authors of the New Testament had
borrowed from the Roman manners and customs. This version also
presents some mistakes, which can only be explained by the words
of the Greek text, from which it was immediately made. For instance,
in rendering into Syriac these words of Acts xviii. 7., ONOMATI
IOTSTOT 2EBOMENOT, the interpreter has translated Titus in-
stead of Justus, because he had divided the Greek in the following
manner ONOMA TIIOTS TOT SEBOMENOT. 2
An important accession to biblical literature was made, a few years
since, by the late Rev. Dr. Buchanan, to whose assiduous labours
the British church in India is hiost deeply indebted ; and who, in
his progress among the Syrian churches and Jews of India, dis-
covered and obtained numerous antient manuscripts of the Scrip-
tures, which are now deposited in the public library at Cambridge-
One of these, which was discovered in a remote Syrian church near
the mountains, is particularly valuable : it contains the Old and New
Testaments, engrossed with beautiful accuracy in the Estrangelo (or
old Syriac) character, on strong vellum, in large folio, and having
three columns in a page. The words of every book are numbered ;
and the volume is illuminated, but not after the European manner,
the initial letters having no ornament. Though somewhat injured by
L Carpzov, Critica Sacra, pp.623 626.-; Lcusden, Philologus Hebrseo.Mixtus, pp.G7*
71. ; Bishop Lowth's Isaiah, vol.i. p. xci. ; t)r. Kennicott 3 Diss. ii. p. 355. ; Bauer,
Critica Sacra, pp. 308320. ; Jahn, Introd. ad Vet. Feed. pp. 75, 76. ; De Rossi, Vorlas
Lectiones ad Vet. Test. torn. i. prol. p. xxxii. ; Datke, Opuwula ad Crisin et Interprc-
tationem, Vet. Test, p. 171,.; Kortholt, do Versionibus Scripture, pp. 40 45,; Walton,
Proleg. c. 13, pp.593, et seq. Dr. Smith's Srrinfuro Testimony of the Messiah, vol. I.
pp. 396, 397.
Hug's Ifltrbd. vol. i. pp. 342, 343.
II, Sect. III.] Syriac Versions. 59
time or neglect, the ink being in certain places obliterated, still the
letters can in general be distinctly traced from the impress of the pen,
or from the partial corrosion of the ink. The' Syrian church assigns
a high date to this manuscript, which, in the opinion of Mr. Yeates,
who has published a collation of the Pentateuch 1 , was written about
the seventh century. In looking over this manuscript, Dr. Buchanan
found the very first emendation of the Hebrew text proposed by Dr.
Kennicolt - 9 which doubtless is the true reading.
The first edition of the Syriac version of the Old Testament ap-
peared in the Paris Polyglott; but, being taken from an imperfect MS.,
its deficiencies were supplied by Gabriel Sionita, who translated i he pas-
sages wanting from the Latin Vulgate, and has been unjustly charged
with having translated the whole from the Vulgate. This text was
reprinted in Bishop Walton's Polyglott, with the addition of some
apocryphal books. There have been numerous editions of particular
parts of the Syriac Old Testament, which are minutely described by
Masch. 3 The principal editions of the Syriac Scriptures are noticed
infra, in the Appendix, pp. 40, 41.
The Peschito Syriac version of the New Testament was first made
known in Europe by Moses of Marclin, who had been sent by Igna-
tius, patriarch of the Maronite Christians, in ] 552, to Pope JuliusIIL,
to acknowledge the papal supremacy in the name of the Syrian
church, and was at the same .time commissioned to procure the
Syriac New Testament. This was accomplished at Vienna in J555,
under the editorial care of Moses and Albert Widmanstad, with the
assistance of William Postell, and at the expense of the emperor Fer-
dinand I. This Editio Princeps is in quarto. The Syriac New Tes-
tament has since been printed several times.
There is also extant a Syriac version of the second Epistle of
Saint Peter, the second and third Epistles of John, the Epistle of
Jude, and the Apocalypse, which are wanting in the Peschito: these
are by some writers ascribed to Mar Abba, primate of the East,
between the years 535 and 552. The translation of these books
is made from the original Greek ; but the author, whoever he was,
possessed but an indifferent knowledge of the two languages.
2. The PHILOXENIAN or SYRO-PHILOXENIAN Version derives its
name from Philoxeims, or Xenayas, Bishop of Hierapolis or Mabug
in Syria, A. D.48S 518, who employed his rural bishop (Chorepis*
cojius) Polycarp, to translate the Greek New Testament into Syriac.
This version was finished in the year 508, and was afterwards re-
vised by Thomas of Harkel or Heraclea, A. D. 616. Michaelis is
of opinion, that there was a third edition? and a fourth is attributed
In thu Christian Observer, vol. xii. pp. 171174. there is an account of Mr. Yeates's
. (edit. 18110 ,
Gen, iv, 8. And Cttin said wito Abel his brother. Let its go down into the plain. It
jnay be satisfactory to the reader to know, that this disputed addition is to be found in the
Samaritan, Syriac, Suptuagint, and Vulgate Versions, printed m Bishop Walton 'ti Poly-
glott.
a Bibl. Sacr, pavtii. vol. i. sect, iv, pp. G4 71.
60 Antient Persians of the Old and New Testaments. [Part I. Ch.
to Dionysius Barsalibeeus, who was bishop of Amida from 1166 to
1177. It appears, however, that there were only two editions
the original one by Polycarp, and that revised by Thomas of Har-
kel; the single copy of the Four Gospels, with the alterations of
Barsalibseus, in the twelfth century, being hardly intitlecl to the
name of a new edition. This version was not known in Europe
until the middle of the eighteenth century; when the Rev. Dr.
Gloucester Ridley published a Dissertation on the Syriac Versions
of the New Testament (in 1761), three manuscripts of which he had
received thirty years before from Amida in Mesopotamia. Though
age and growing infirmities, the great expense of printing, and the
want of a patron, prevented Dr. Ridley from availing himself of these
manuscripts; yet having, under circumstances of peculiar difficulty,
succeeded in acquiring a knowledge of the Syriac language, he
employed himself at intervals in making a transcript of the Four
Gospels. These, being put into the hands of the late Professor
White, were published by him with a literal Latin translation, in
1778, in two volumes 4to., at the expense of the delegates of the
Clarendon press at Oxford. In 1779, Professor White published
from the same press the Acts of the Apostles and the Catholic
Epistles, and in ] 804, the Epistles of Saint Paul, also in 4to, and
accompanied with a Latin translation.
The Philoxenian version, though made immediately from the
Greek, is greatly inferior to the Peschito, both in the accuracy
with which it is executed, and also in its style. It is, however, not
devoid of value, " and is of real importance to a critic, whose object
is to select a variety of readings, with the view of restoring the ge-
nuine text of the Greek original: for he may be fully assured, that
every phrase and expression is a precise copy of the Greek text as it
stood in the manuscript from which the version was made. But, as it
is not prior to the sixth century, and the Peschito was written either at
the end of the first, or at the beginning of the second century, it is of less
importance to know the readings of the Greek manuscript thatwas used
in the former, than those of the original employed in the latter." *
3. Of the OTHEH SYRIAC VERSIONS, the Syro-Estrangelo version
of the Old Testament^ and the PalsBstino- Syriac version of part of the
New Testament, are of sufficient importance to deserve a brief notice.
[i.] The SYRO-ESTRANGELO version is a translation of Origcii's
Hexaplar edition of the Greek Septuagint : it was executed in the
former part of the seventh century, and its author is unknown. The
late Professor De Rossi, who published the first specimen of it' 2
does not decide whether it is to be attributed to Mar- Abba, James
i Michaelis's Introduction to the New Testament, vol. ii. parti, p. 68. To Bish^Marsli's
Notes, ibid. part, ii, pp. 533585. we are chiefly indebted for the preceding account of
the Syriac Versions of the New Testament. See also Hug's Introduction, vol. i. pp. 373
386. Dr. G. H. Bernstein's Dissertation on Thomas of Harkel's revision of the
Syro-Plriloxenian Version, imitled De Vcrsione Novi Testament! Syriac Heracleensi
Commentatio. Lipsiae, 1 S2S, 4to.
Arobrosiano, unde illud hau&tum cat, prwiuisit Johannes Bern, llosj-i. Svo, Parma 1 , 177fc.
I. Se^t. III.] Egyptian Versions. 61
of Edessa, Paul Bishop of Tela, or to Thomas of Heraclea. Asse-
manni, ascribes it to Thomas, though other learned men affirm that
he did no more than collate the Books of Scripture. This version,
however, corresponds exactly with the text of the Septuagint, espe-
cially in those passages in which the latter differs from the Hebrew.
A MS. of this version is in the Ambrosian Library at Milan, com-
prising the Books of Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of
Solomon, Wisdom, Ecclesitisticus, Hosea, Amos, Habakkuk, Ze-
phaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Isaiah :
it also contains the obelus and other marks of Origen's Hexapla; and a
subscription at the end states it to have been literally translated from
the Greek cop}', corrected by Eusebius himself, with the assistance
of Pamphilus, from the books of Origen, which were deposited in
the library at Csesarea. The conformity of this MS. with the ac-
count given by Masius, in the preface to his learned Annotations on
the Book of Joshua, affords strong grounds for believing that this is
the second part of the MS. described by him as then being in his
possession, and which, there is reason to fear, is irrecoverably lost*
From this version M, Norberg edited the prophecies of Jeremiah
and Ezekiel in 1787, 4to. Londini, Gothorum ; and M. Bugati, the
Book of Daniel, at Milan, 1788, to. 1
[ii.] The FAL^ESTINO-SYIUAC, or SYRFAC TRANSLATION OF JE-
RUSALEM, was discovered in the Vatican Library at Rome by M.
Adler, in a manuscript of the eleventh century. It is not an entire
translation of the New Testament, but only a Lectionarium, or col-
lection of detached portions, appointed to be read in the services of
the church on Sundays and festival days. It is written in the Syriac
or Chaldee dialect of Jerusalem, and was evidently made in a Roman
province : for in Matt, xxvii. 27- the word o-rgomcvra;, soldiers^ is ren-
dered by N'ZDn (RoMiA), as if the translator had never heard of any
soldiers but Romans ; and in the same verse enrs/g, land or cohort,
is rendered by the Latin word castra, K~lDDp- These and other
indications afford reason to think, that the manuscript contains a
translation made from the Greek, in Palestine ; it was written at An-
tioch, and from all these circumstances, this version has been deno-
minated the Jerusalem-Syriac Version. This manuscript has not
yet been collated throughout, so that it is very uncertain to what re-
cension it belongs, But, from what is known concerning it, there is
reason to think "that it combines the readings of different families. 2
II. EGYPTIAN VERSIONS. From the proximity of Egypt to
Juclsca, it appears that the knowledge of the Gospel was very early
The specimen consists of the first psalm printed in six columns. The first contains the
Greek text of the Scptuagint ; the .second, the Syro-Estrangelo text; the third, the Latin
text translated from the Septuagint; the fourth, the Hebrew text; the fifth, the Peschito
or old Syriac text above noticed ; and the sixth, the Latin text translated from this latter
version*
J Masch, part. ii. vol. i. pp 58 60. Jahn, Introd. ad Vet. Feed, pp.76 78. Monthly
Review, 0. S. vol. lix. pp. 452454. Some other Syriac versions of less note arc de-
scribed by Masch, ut supra, pp. (JO 62.
a CelleMor, Introd. auNouv, Test. pp. ISO, I8L Hug's Introduction, vol. i. pp.386
389. A notice of the principal editions of the Syriac Version is given in the Appendix,
pp. 40,41.
62 Antlent Versions of the Old and Ne^ Testaments. [Part I. Ch.
communicated to the inhabitants of that country, whose language was
divided into three dialects iheCoptiC) or dialect of Lower Egypt; the
Sahidic, or dialect of Upper Egypt; and the Basmuric, or dialect of
Middle Egypt
The COPTIC language is a compound of the old Egyptian and
Greek ; into which the Old Testament was translated from the Sep-
tuagint, perhaps in the second or third century, and certainly before
the seventh century. Of this version, the Pentateuch was published
by Wilkins in 1731 ; and a Psalter, by the congregation de Propa-
ganda Fide, at Rome, in 1744 and 1749. J
In the SAHIDIC language the ninth chapter of Daniel was pub-
lished by Miinter at Rome in 1786; and Jeremiah, ch.ix. 17. to
ch. xiii.j by Mingarelli, in Reliquiae Egyptiorum Codicum in BiUio-
theca Naniana asservattf, at Bologna, in 1785. The late Dr. Woide
was of opinion that both the Coptic and Sahidic versions were made
from the Greek. They express the phrases of the Septuagint ver-
sion ; and most of the additions, omissions, arid transpositions, which
distinguished the latter from the Hebrew, are discoverable in the
Coptic and Sahidic versions.
The Coptic version of the New Testament was published at Oxford
in 1716, in 4>to. 9 by Daniel Wilkins, a learned Prussian, who has en-
deavoured to prove that it must have been executed prior to the
third century; but his opinion has been controverted by many
learned men, and particularly by Louis Picques, who refers it to
the fifth century. Professor Hug, however, has shown that it could
not have been composed before the time of Hesychius, nor before
the middle of the third century. 2 The celebrated passage (1 John
v. 7.) is wanting in this version, as well as in the Syriac-Peschito,
and Philoxenian translations. From the observations"of Dr. Woide,
it appears that the Coptic inclines more to the Alexandrian than the
Sahidic that no remarkable coincidence is to be found between
the Coptic or Sahidic and the Vulgate, and that we have no reason
to suspect that the former has been altered or made to conform to
the latter.
Concerning the age of the Sahidic version, critics are not yet
agreed. Dr. Woide, however, has shown that it was most probably
executed in the second century ; and, consequently, it is of the utmost
importance to the criticism of the Greek Testament. In a dissert-
ation on this version, written in the German language, and abridged
by Bishop Marsh 3 , Dr. W. observes, that there are now in exist-
ence two Sahidic manuscripts, one formerly in the possession of
the late Dr. Askew, the other brought from Egypt by the celebrated
traveller, Mr. Bruce. The former contains a work, intitlecl Sophia,
and written by Valentinus, in the second century. This manuscript
contains various passages both from the Old and New Testament,
which coincide with the fragments of the Sahidic version now extant ;
* Masch, part.ii. vol. i. pp. 182190. Jahn, p. 81- The only perfect copy of the
Coptic Bible now in Europe i* said to be in the possession- of Monsieur Marcel, See
M. Quatremere's Recherches sur la Langueet la LitteYature d'Egypte, p. 118.
" Hug's Introd. vol. i. p. 410.
* Marsh's Michaelis, vol. ii. part ii. pp, 595^ 596.
II. Sect IIL] Tlie Ethiopia or Abyssinian Version. 63
whence it is concluded that a Sahidic version of the whole Bible not
only existed so early as the beginning of the second century, but
that it was the same as that of which we have various fragments, and
which, if put together, would form perhaps a complete Sahidic ver-
sion of the Bible. The other manuscript to which Dr. Woide ap-
peals, contains two books, the one intitled BipXo$ r^ yvw<reo$ 9 the
other, Bi/SAof Aoyou xara pvo-rygtov. Now that this was written by
a Gnostic, as well as the other manuscript, appears both from the
title and the contents, and therefore it is concluded that the author
lived in the second century. And as various passages are quoted
in it both from the Old and New Testament, Dr. Woide deduces
the same inference as from the foregoing. Of this version some frag-
ments of the Gospels of Matthew and John have been published
by Mingarelli, in a work intitled Mgyptiomm Codicum Reliquiae, Ve-
netiis in Bibliothecd Naniand asservatte. (Bononise, 1715, 4to.) But
the completest collection of fragments f this version is that prepared
for the press by the late Dr. Woide, who did not live to publish
them. The work was completed and edited by the Rev. Dr. Ford,
from the Clarendon press, at Oxford, in folio, 1799, as an appendix,
to Dr. W.'s fac-simile of the Codex Alexandrinus.
From the difference of their readings, and from the circumstance
that additions in the one are omitted in the other, .Bishop Marsh
infers that the Coptic and Sahidic are independent versions, both
made from the original Greek. Both, therefore, may be quoted as
separate evidence for a reading in the Greek Testament *
Besides the versions in the Coptic and Sahidic dialects, Father
Georgi discovered, in a manuscript belonging to Cardinal Borgia,
some fragments of a version written in a still different Egyptian dia-
lect, which he calls the AMMONIAN DIALECT. It contains only 1 Con
vii. 36. ix. 16. and xiv. S3. xv. 33. Some fragments of a BAS-
MURico-CopTic Version of the Old and New Testament, discovered
in the Borgian Museum at Velitri, were published by ML Engelbreth
at Copenhagen, in 1816. Dr. Frederick Munter has printed the
Sahidic and Ammoniac texts of 1 Cor. ix. 1016. in his Commentatio
de Indole Versionis Novi Testamenti Sahidica (4to. Hafnise, 1789), in
parallel columns, in order to present the reader with a distinct view of
the similarity or difference between the two versions. On account,
however, of the chief difference consisting in the orthography of single
words, he is not disposed to assign to the Ammoniac the name of a
separate dialect. On considering the region where this dialect seemed
to be vernacular, he was inclined for several reasons to fix upon the
Oases, particularly the Ammonian Oasis, whence he called it the Am-
monian Dialect: but Professor Hug, who- has investigated the
hypothesis of various learned men, is of opinion that the fragments in
question may possibly exhibit the idiom of Middle Egypt. This
version was probably executed in the latter part of the third century. 2
IIL The ETHIOPIC or ABYSSINIAN VERSION of the Old Testa-
ment was made from the Septuagint : although its author and date are
1 Marsh's Micbaelis, vol. ii. parti, pp. 76 81. partii. pp.586 597.
2 Hug's Introduction, vol. ii. pp. 417423, For a notice of the editions or pub-
lished fragments of the several Egyptian versions, see the Appendix to this volume, p. 43.
64< Anllcnt Versions of the Old a?td Net Testaments. [Part I. Ch.
unknown, 5 Tet ? fr ra tne marks of unquestionable antiquity which it
bears, there is every reason to believe that it was executed in the
fourth century. Some peculiar readings occur in this translation :
but, where it seems to be exact, it derives considerable authority
from its antiquity. Only a few books and fragments of this version
have been printed. The first portions of the Ethiopic Scriptures
that appeared in print, were the Psalms, and the Song of Solomon :
edited at Rome, by John Potken, A. D. 1,513. The translation of
the New Testament is supposed to have been made by Frumentius,,
who, about the year 330, first preached Christianity in Ethiopia. In
1548, the New Testament was printed at Rome by some Abyssinian
priests, and was afterwards reprinted in the London Polyglott : but
as the manuscripts used in the Roman edition were old and muti-
lated, the editors restored such chasms as appeared in the text, by
translations from the Latin Vulgate. These editions, therefore, are
not of much value, as they do not present faithful copies of the
antient Ethiopic text ; which, according to Professor Hug, exhibits
the appearance either of several versions being united in one copy,
or of several MSS. (belonging to different recensions) being quoted
in the composition of this version. 1
There is, however,, reason to expect that, in no long time, the gift
of the entire Ethiopic Scriptures will be imparted to Abyssinia. A
manuscript copy of this version, in fine preservation, has been pur-
chased by the committee of the Church Missionary Society. From
a memoir on this manuscript by Professor Lee, we learn, that it
contains the first eight books of the Old Testament, written on
vellum, in a bold and masterly hand, in two columns on each page.
The length of the page is that of a large quarto: the width is not
quite so great. The volume contains 285 folios, of which the text
covers 282, very accurately written, and in high preservation. On
the first page is written, in Ethiopic, the invocation usually found in
the books of the eastern Christians : " In the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Then follows an account
of the contents of the book, written in Latin by some former pos-
sessor, and a date A.I). 1596, 20th September. On the reverse of
the first folio is found a table, not unlike the tables of genealogy in
some of our old English Bibles, which seems to be intended to show
the hours appointed for certain prayers. Then follows the Book of 1
Genesis, as translated from the Greek of the Septuagint. On the
reverse of the third folio is the following inscription in Arabic :
"The poor Ribea, the Son of Elias, wrote it: O wine! to which
nothing can be assimilated, either in reality or appearance : O ex-
cellent drink ! of which our Lord said, having the cup in his hand,
and giving thanks, c This is my blood for the salvation of men.' "
Folios 7. & 8. have been supplied, in paper, by a more modern hand.
On the reverse of folio 8, is a very humble attempt at drawing, in the
ij p. 81. Masch, partii. vol. i. pp. 140 143. Michaelis, vol. ii. pp.95 _ 98.
610614. Hug, vol. i. pp, 426 428. Walton, ProL xv. 1012. pp. 679685.
Kortholt, pp. 298301. In Mr. Bruce's Travels, vol. ii. pp. 416420. (8vo. edit.)
there is an interesting account of the Ethiopic biblical books. It is not known in whose
possession the manuscript copy of the Ethiopic version now is, which was brought by
Mr. B, from Abyssinia. *
II. Sect. III.] The Ethiopia or Abyssinian Version. 65
figure of a person apparently in prayer, accompanied by an inscrip-
tion in Ethiopic, at the side of the figure : " In the prayers of
Moses and Aaron, to l Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, am I 3 thy ser-
vant, O Lord, presented in the power of the Trinity, a weak, infirm,
and defiled sinner. Let them implore Christ/' Under the drawing,
in Ethiopic : " In the same manner, every slayer that slays Cain,
will I repay in this ; and, as he slew, so shall he be slain." . On the
reverse of folio 98., at the end of the Book of Exodus, are two figures,
somewhat similar, but rather better drawn, and seemingly by the writer
of the manuscript ; and, in another place or two, there are marginal or-
naments. At the end of Deuteronomy is this inscription, in Ethiopic:
" The repetition of the law, which God spake to Moses. Numbered
5070 2 (words). Intercede for your slave Isaac," At the end of the
volume : " Pray for those who laboured in this book ,- and for your
slave Isaac, who gave this to Jerusalem, the Holy." Then follows
an inscription, in Arabic : " In the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost, one God. O Lord, save thy ; people
from every evil ! O our God, Jesus Christ, the speaker to men ! O
holy people, remember your slave Isaac, the poor : God shall re-
member you in the mercies of this book. Pray, if God be willing,
that I may be permitted to see your face. And pray for me, the
sinner. Pardon my sins, O Lord ! and let my body be buried in
Mount Sion." Then follows^ in Ethiopic : " That our enemies may
not say of us, c We have conquered them :' be ye prudent. We
have given you a lamp. Be ye the culture. Sow ye the flock:
reap and rejoice." A few lines have been erased. Then follows
.... " me, Isaac, the poor, in your prayers. It was completed in
Beth Gabbaza, of Axuma. In thy name, O Lord, have I planted,
that thou place me not in any other place except Mount Sion ; the
mount of Christ ; the house of Christians. Let them not be forgotten
in your prayers, who have read and testified to you. Preserve, O
Lord, this my offering for me thy servant, the poor; and preserve
all these books which I offer, that the brethren, dwelling at, Jeru-
salem, may be comforted. And pray for me 3 , forget me not in the
holy offices, and in prayer, that we may all stand before God in the
terrible day and hours. That it might not be written that we
were wanting, I have previously sent and -given you this for the
warfare of the testimony. Intercede, and bless. And also for the
refreshing of the record of the Fathers : and also for Cueskam*, the
i As this inscription, which occurs on the supplied leaves, savours of the errors^ of the
Romish Church, it was probably written by some Abyssinian Catholic. The inscriptions of
Isaac, the writer of the MS-, though mutilated, and sometimes obscure, seem free from
these errors. The figure of St. Peter, mentioned below, was probably traced by the same
a It is customary among the Jews, Syrians, and Ethiopians, to number the words in the
books of Scripture. . *
3 Iti most of the eastern churches, it is the practice to enumerate their Saints, in a
certain part of the Liturgy, .
4 The name of a region, a sea, and a mountain, in Ethiopia; so celebrated, as to be
esteemed by the Ethiopians as preferable to even Sinai or Mount Olivet ; and, as tradition
VOL. II. ff
66 Antient Persians of the Old and New Testaments. Part I. Ch.
queen of the sons of Abyssinia ; that they may be comforted, and
thence convert our region may, moreover, migrate into other
regions, and restore Jerusalem; and for the Calvary of Mary.
Let them pray for me. Let it be preserved as the widow's mite, for
ever and ever. Let them not sell or exchange ; nor let them carry
it away ; nor let them cause it to be placed elsewhere. And ..... "
the rest is wanting. Hence it appears, that the book was written at
Axuma, the antient capital of Ethiopia; and that it was sent by
Isaac to the Abyssinians residing in Jerusalem. No date appears in
the manuscript itself. It is, probably, about 300 years old. On the
reverse of fol. 285. is a drawing, intended to represent Andrew the
Apostle, with the book of the Gospels in one hand, and the keys
in the other. Some less ingenious draftsman, however, has, by means
of the transparency of the vellum, traced out this figure on the first
page of this folio, and given the name of Peter to his humble repre-
sentation, He has thus succeeded in assigning to St. Peter the'
first place, and also in bestowing on him the keys. Against this
picture of Peter is placed his age, 120 years.
The following fac-sinjile represents part of the remarkable pro-
phecy of Balaam. x
Num. XXIV. 17.
fiays, whither Joseph and Mary, with the child Jesus, betook themselves, making it their
residence for some time, after the flight into Egypt, CasteU> sub voce __ Ludolf, sub voce
sap it is the name of a monastery in Upper Egypt, which was always had in great venerl
ation by the Copts and Ethiopians; and where Christ is said to have resided with his
mother, when he fled from Herod.
Eighteenth Report of the Church Missionary Society, pp. 188, 189. fn p. 190, there
II. Sect. III.] Arabic Visions. 67
I shall see him, but not now : I shall call Mm blessed, but he is not
near : there shall arise a star out of Jacob, and from Israel shall it
arise ; and he shall destroy the ambassadors of Moab, and shall take
captive all the children of Set h.
This precious manuscript has been carefully transcribed, and is now
printing with a fount of types, cast at the expense of the British and
Foreign Bible Society, from the matrices (preserved at Frankfort) of
the celebrated Ethiopic scholar John Ludolph,- whose types, as used
in his printed works, have been highly approved by the Abyssinians, *
IV. ARABIC VERSIONS. Although the Christian religion was
preached in Arabia, as well as in other countries of the East, at an
early period, yet it never was the established religion of the country,
as in Syria and Egypt ; for even the temple at Mecca was a heathen
temple "till the time of Mohammed; Historical evidence, therefore,
concerning the Arabic versions of the Old Testament, does not ex-
tend beyond the tenth century, when
1* Rabbi Saadias Gaon, a celebrated Jewish teacher at Babylon,
translated, or rather paraphrased, the Old Testament into Arabic :
of this version the Pentateuch was printed at Constantinople, in folio,
in the year 1546, in Hebrew characters; and in the Paris and Lon-
don Polyglotts, in Arabic letters. The prophecy of Isaiah was pub-
lished by Paulus in 8vo. at Jena, in 1790, 1791. The remaining
books of this translation have not hitherto been discovered. Besides
this, there are several other Arabic versions extant, made immediately
from the Hebrew, either by Jews, Samaritans, or Christians, of which
the following are the principal, viz.
2. The Arabic version of the Pentateuch, published by Erpenius
at Leyden in 1622, 4to., appears to have been executed in the thir-
teenth century by some African Jew, who has very closely adhered
to the Hebrew,
3. The Arabic version of the Book of Joshua, printed in the Paris
and London Polyglotts, is, in the opinion of Bauer, made directly
from the Hebrew. Its author and date are not known.
4. The Pentateuch, Psalms, and Prophecy of Daniel, were trans-
lated by Saadia Ben Levi Asnekot, who lived in the early part of the
seventeenth century : they are extant only in MS. in the British Mu-
seum 2 , and are of very little value.
Besides these versions, the Arab Christians have a translation of
the Book of Job (printed in the Paris and London Polyglotts), and
two versions of the Psalms, still in MS,, which were respectively made
from the Peschito or Old Syriac version, All the Arabic books of
the Old Testament (with the exception of the Pentateuch and Job),
which are printed in those Polyglotts, were executed from Hesy-
is an interesting notice of the Ethiopic MSS, of the Scriptures, in the Royal Library at
Paris.
i For a notice of such parts of the Ethiopic Version of the Scriptures as have been
printed, see the Appendix to this volume, p. 44. ; and for other particulars relative to this
Version, the reader is referred to Mr. Platt's Catalogue of the Ethiopic Biblical Manu-
scripts in the Royal Library of Paris, and in the Library of the British and Foreign Bible
Society/* &c. London, 1823. 4to.
a Cat. Harl, MSS. vol. iii. num. 5505.
* 2
68 Antient Versions of the Old and New Testaments. [Part L Cb.
chius's recension of the Septuagint. The Psalms, inserted in Jus-
tirnani's Polyglott Psalter, and Gabriel Sionita's Arabic Psalter,
were made from Lucian's recension of that version : and the Arabic
Psalter, printed at Aleppo in 1 706, 4to. 5 follows the Melchitic J re-
cension of the Lxx. 2
There are many Arabic translations of the New Testament, be-
sides those which have appeared in print : for since the Arabic lan-
guage supplanted the Syriac and Egyptian, the inhabitants of tiie
countries where these had been spoken, have been obliged to annex
Arabic translations to the antient versions, which are no longer un-
derstood. These Arabic translations are supposed to have been
made at different times between the seventh and the eleventh cen-
turies : in general they were not all executed from the original text,
but from the versions which they were intended to accompany. Thus
some which are placed together with the Greek text 5 have been made
from the Greek, while others have been made from the Syriac, the
Coptic, and even from the Latin Vulgate. 3
V. The ARMENIAN VERSION of the Old Testament was made from
the Alexandrian Septuagint: its author was Miesrob, who invented
letters fully expressive of the Armenian tongue, towards the close of
the fourth or early in the fifth century. It is said to have been sub-
sequently altered according to the Peschito or old Syriac version,
and according to the Latin Vulgate, by Uscan, an Armenian bishop,
who was specially sent to Amsterdam to superintend the edition there
printed in 1666. The translation of the New Testament is ascribed
jointly to Miesrob, and to the patriarch Isaac, at the end of the fourth
or early in the fifth century. It was twice translated from the Syriac,,
and then from the Greek \ and that the copies now extant were made
from the latter language, is evident from their containing those books
of the New Testament which were never admitted into the Peschito
or antient literal Syriac version. This version, in the opinion of
Semler 3 is of great importance, as faithfully representing the Greek
MSS. whence it was made : but Michaelis observes, that it would be
an inestimable treasure, had it descended to us unaltered by time and
superstition. It has in several instances been made conformable to
the Vulgate by Haitho or Hethom, sovereign of the Lesser Armenia
from A.D. 1224- to 1270, who was attached to the Church of Rome,
and skilled in the Latin language. 4
1 The Melcldtes were those Christians in Syria, Egypt, and the Levant, who, though
not Greeks, followed the doctrines and ceremonies of the Greek Church. They were
called Melchites, that is, Royalists, by their adversaries, by way of reproach, on account of
their implicit submission to the edict of the emperor Marcian, in favour of the council of
Chalcedon. Moshcim's Eccl. Hist. vol. ii. p, 188. note (m).
2 Carpzov. Crit. Sacr. pp. 640 644. Bauer, Grit. Sacr. pp. 321 324. Jahn, Introd.
ad Vet. Feed. pp. 78 80. Masch, partii. vol. i. pp 103 110.
3 Michaelis (vol. ii. parti, pp. SI 95.) and Hug (vol. i. pp. 430 454.) have gone
fully into the history of the Arabic versions. For a notice of the principal editions of
them, see the Appendix to this volume, pp, 41, 42.
4 Jahn, p. 8 a. Masch, pp, 169 173.; Kortholt, pp. 304, 305. On the present
state of the Armenian church in India, see Dr. Buchanan's " Christian Researches,"
pp. 341 346. Semlcr, Apparatus ad Liberalern Novi Testament! Interpretationem,
p. 69. Michaelis, vol. ii. pp.98 105.614 GI7. Hug, vol.i. pp. 394 399.
II. Sect. IV.] Antient Latin Versions* 69
VI. PERSIC VERSIONS. Although we have no authentic account
of the conversion of the whole Persian nation to Christianity, yet we
are informed by Chrysostom and Theodoret, that the Scriptures were
very antiently translated into the Persian language. It does not ap-
pear, however, that any fragments of this antient version are extant.
The translation of the Pentateuch, printed in the 4th volume of
Bishop Walton's Polyglott, was executed by a Jew, for the benefit
of the Jews, in the eleventh or twelfth century. The Hebrew text
is, for the most part, faithfully rendered. Bishop Walton mentions
two Persic versions of the Psalms one by a Portuguese monk at
Ispahan in the year 1618, and another by some Jesuits from the Vul-
gate Latin version. l These are yet in manuscript.
There are extant two Persian Versions of the four Gospels, the
most antient and valuable of which was first printed in the London
Polyglott, by Bishop Walton, from a manuscript in the possession of
Dr. Pococke, dated A. D. 1314 : it was made from the Syriac, having ^
sometimes retained Syriac words, and subjoined a Persian translation.
The other Persian translation was edited by Wheloc, and after his
decease by Pierson, at London, in 1652-57, after a collation of three
manuscripts. It is supposed to have been made from the Greek. 3
SECTION IV.
ON THE ANTIENT WESTERN VERSIONS OP THE SCRIPTURES.
I. Antient Latin Versions of the Scriptures. I* Of the OLD ITALIC or
ANTE-HIERONYMIAN VERSION- 2. Account of the Biblical Labours ,
and Latin Version of JEROME, 3. Of the VULGATE VERSION and its
Revisions. 4*. Critical Value of the Latin Vulgate Version. IL GOTHIC
VERSION. III. SCLAVONIC VERSION. IV. ANGLO-SAXON VERSION.
I. ANTIENT LATIN VERSIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES. At the com-
incncement of the Christian oera, the Latin was gradually supplant-
ing the Greek as a general language, and it soon might be called the
language of the western church. From the testimony of Augustine 3 ,
it appears that the Latin church possessed a very great number of
versions of the Scriptures, made at the first introduction of Chris-
tianity, and whose authors were unknown; and that, in the primitive
times, as soon as any one found a Greek copy, and thought himself
sufficiently versed in both languages, he attempted a translation of
it. * In the course of time, this diversity of translation produced
i Walton, proLxvi, G 8. pp, 692 695. Kortholt, c, xix. pp. 301 303* Jahn,
n, 80. For an account of editions consult Masch, partii. vol. i. pp. 15* 164.
* Michaclis, vol. ii. pp. 105, 106. 617619. Semler, p. 69. Walton, Pro!, c. xvi.
9, pp. 695, 696. Hug, vol. i, pp. 389393.
a Augustine, do Doctr. Christ. I. ii. c. 11.
- 4 These various antient Latin versions, which are frequently termed Ante-Hteronymian,
and of the manuscripts of which some valuable fragments have been preserved to us in the
writings of the Fathers, were written in barbarous Latin, and frequently differed greatly.
Onfe single example, out of many that might be offered, will suffice. Col. ii, 15. as cited
by Hilary (de Trin. lib, i. c. 13.), runs thus : " Exutus carncm ex potentates ostentui
fecit, triumphatis iis cum fiduciA, iu scmet ipso." The same passage, as cited by Augustine,
F 3
70 Antient Western Versions of the Scriptures. [Part I. Ch.
much confusion, parts of separate versions being put together to form
an entire composition, and marginal notes being inserted into the text :
but one of these Latin translations appears to have acquired a more
extensive circulation than the others 9 and for several ages was prefer-
ably used, under the name of the Vetus Itala or old Italic, on account
of its clearness and fidelity. 1 This version, which in the time of Je-
rome was received as -canonical, is by him termed sometimes the Vul-
fate and sometimes the Old, in opposition to the new translation un-
er taken by him. He mentions no other version. The Old Italic
was translated from the Greek in the Old Testament as well as in the
New, there being comparatively few members of the Western church,
who were skilled in Hebrew, Prom the above cited expressions of
Augustine, it has been inferred that the old Italic version was made
in the first century of the Christian aera ; but the New Testament
could not have been translated into Latin before the canon had been
formed, which was certainly not made in the first century : and the
great number of Hebraisms and Syriasms observable in it, particu-
larly in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, have induced some emi-
nent critics to conjecture that the authors of this translation were
Jews converted to Christianity. 2 There is, however, every reason
to believe, that it was executed in the early part of the second cen-
tury : " at least it was quoted by Tertullian before the close of that
century. But, before the end of the fourth century, the alterations,
either designed or accidental, which were made by transcribers of
the Latin Bible, were become as numerous as the alterations in the
Greek Bible, before it was corrected by Origen." 3
2- To remedy this growing evil, Jerome, at the request, and under
the patronage of PopeDamasus, towards the close of the fourth cen-
tury, undertook to revise this translation, and make it more conform-
able to the original Greek. He executed the revision of the Old
Testament according to the Hexaplar text of Origen, which he went
to Csesarea to consult, and the New Testament after the original
Greek; and completed his task A. D. 390 or 391. Of this revision,
the Book of Job and the Psalms (which alone have been preserved
to our times), together with the Chronicles, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes*
(contra Faustum, lib. xvi. c. 29.) stands thus : " Exutus se carnem principatus et potes-
tates exemplavit, fiducialiter triumphatus eos in sernet ipso." Other examples may be seen
111 Hug, vol. i. pp. 454 456,
i Aiigustine, de Doct. Christ. l.ii. c.15. This passage of Augustine is suspected to be
incorrect^ and Bishop Marsh, after Bentley, Ernesti, Lardner, and other critics, thinks
that we oagbr to read ilia for Itala. (Michaelis, vol.ii, partii. p. 623. See also Dr. Lardner's
Works, vol. v, pp. 115, 116.) But this conjecture is supported by no manuscript, and is
also contradicted by the context of Augustine. M. Breyther, who has examined the
various conjectures and arguments, which have been alleged in support of the reading of
ilia, determines in favour of Itala as the genuine reading. (Dissert, de vi quam antiquis-
simse versiones, quse extant, in crisin Evang. IV. habeant, pp. 13 24.) Prof. Hug
also determines in favour of Itala. (Introd. to New Test. vol. i. pp. 460 S 461.)
2 " The learned and ingenious Eichhorn, in his introduction to the Old Testament,
supposes that the first Latin version of the Bible was made in Africa ; where Latin alone
being understood, a translation was more necessary ; where the Latin version was held in
the highest veneration ; and where, the language being spoken with less purity, barbarisms
might have been more easily introduced than in a provincial town in Italy*" Bp, Marsh's
Michaelis, vol. ii. partii. p. 628.
3 Bishop Marsh's Divinity Lectures, parti, p. G6,
II. Sect. IV.] Antient Latin Versions. 71
and Song of Solomon, are all that were ever published; JeromeV
manuscripts, comprising the remaining books of Scripture^ being lost
or destroyed through the wilful negligence or fraud of some indivi-
dual whom he has not named. 1 But before Jerome had finished hb
revisal, he had commenced a translation of the Old Testament from*
the Hebrew into Latin, in order that the Western Christians, who*
used this last language only, might know the real meaning of tl^e-
Hebrew text, and thus be the better qualified to engage in coritrd-
versial discussions with the Jews.
3. This version, which surpasses all former ones, was executed!
at different times, Jerome having translated particular books in the
order requested by his friends. We learn from Augustine, that it
was introduced into the churches by degrees, for fear of offending
weak persons : at length it acquired so great an authority from the*
approbation it received from Pope Gregory I. a that ever since the
seventh century it has been exclusively adopted 2 by the Romish
Church, under the name of the VULGATE version : and a decree of
the Council of Trent, in the sixteenth century, commanded that the
Vulgate alone should be used whenever the Bible is publicly read,,
and in all sermons, expositions, and disputations ; and pronounced ifc
to be authentic, a very ambiguous term, which ought to have been
more precisely defined, than the members of that Council chose to de-
fine it. " Upon this ground many contended, that theVulgate version
was dictated by the Holy Spirit ; at least was providentially guarded
against all error; was consequently of divine authority, and more ta
be regarded than even the original Hebrew and Greek texts. And,
in effect, the decree of the Council, however limited and moderated
by the explanation of some of their more judicious divines, has given
to the Vulgate such a high degree of authority, that, in this instance
at least, the translation has taken place of the original \ for these
translators, instead of the Hebrew and Greek texts, profess to translate
the Vulgate. Indeed, when we find the Vulgate very notoriously de-
ficient in expressing the sense, they do the original Scriptures the
honour of consulting them, and take the liberty, by following them,
of departing from their authentic guide ; but, in general, the Vulgate is
their original text \ and they give us a translation of a translation ; by
which second transfusion of the Holy Scriptures into another tongue,
still more of the original sense must be lost, and more of the genuine
spirit must evaporate." 3
The universal adoption of Jerome's new version throughout the
Western church rendered a multiplication of copies necessary ; and
with them new errors were introduced in the course of time, by the
intermixture of the two versions (the Old Italic, and Jerome's or the
Vulgate) with each other. Of this confusion, Cassiodorus was the
i Jerome, Ep. 64. ad Augustin,
s With the exception of the Psalms ; which being daily chaunted to music in the church
service, made it difficult to introduce alterations. The Old Italic Psalter, as corrected by
Jerome, has therefore been used ever since the time of Gregory I. The apocryphal books
of Baruch, Ecclebiasticus, Wisdom, and the two books of Maccabees, are also retained
from the old Latin version.
3 Bp. Lowth's Translation of Isaiah, vol. i. Prel, Diss, p. hxiii.
F 4
72" Antient Western Versions of the Scriptures. [Parti. Ch.
principal cause, who ordered them to be written in parallel columns,
that the old version might be corrected by the Vulgate ; and though
Alcuin in the eighth century, by the command of Charlemagne, pro-
vided more accurate copies, the text again fell into such confusion,
and was so disfigured by innumerable mistakes of copyists, (not-
withstanding the efforts made to correct it by Lanfranc archbishop
of Canterbury in the eleventh century, and by Cardinal Nicholas, and
some other divines, about the middle of the twelfth and in the thir-
teenth centuries) that the manuscripts of the middle ages materially
differ from the first printed editions.
Robert STEPHENS was the first who attempted to remedy this con-
fusion, by publishing his critical editions of the Vulgate in 1528, 1532,
1534, 154-0 1 y and particularly in 154-5 and 1546. These, especially
the last, having incurred the censures of the doctors of the Sorbonne,
John Henteniusj a divine of Louvain, was employed to prepare a
new edition of the Vulgate: this he accomplished in 1547 in folio,
having availed himself of Stephens's previous labours with great ad-
vantage. A third corrected edition was published by Lucas Bru-
gensis, with the assistance of several other divines of Louvain, in 1573,
in three volumes, 8vo., which was also reprinted in 1586 in 4-to. and
8vo., with the critical notes of Lucas Brugensis. The labours of the*
Louvain divines not being in every respect approved by Sixtus V., he
commanded a new revision of the text to be made with the utmost
care : to this work he devoted much time and attention, and corrected
the proofs himself of the edition which was published at Rome in 1590,
in folio. The text thus revised, Sixtus pronounced to be the authentic
Vulgate, which had been the object of inquiry in the Council of Trent;
and ordained that it should be adopted throughout the Romish
Church. But, notwithstanding the labours of the Pope, this edition
was discovered to be so exceedingly incorrect, that his successor
Gregory XIV. caused it to be suppressed ; and Clement VIII., the
successor of Gregory in the pontificate, published another authentic
Vulgate -in 1592. This, however, differs more than any other edition,
from that of Sixtus V., and mostly resembles that of Louvain. These
fatal variances between editions, alike promulgated by pontiffs claim-
ing infallibility, have not passed unnoticed by Protestant divines, who
have taken advantage of them in a manner that sensibly affects the
Church of Rome; especially Kortholt, who has at great length re-
futed the pretensions of Bellarmine in favour of the Vulgate in a mas-
i The edition of 1540 was Stephens's principal edition of the Latin Vulgate; as his
edition of 1550 was his principal edition of the Greek, In magnificence it surpasses
every edition of the Vulgate that ever was printed : and it is likewise of great value to a
cntic, as it contains a copious collection of readings from Latin manuscripts, and some of
the early editions. Father Simon (Hist, Grit, des Versions du N. Test, ch. xi p 130 \
calls it un c/ief-d'vuvre en fait de Mble ;" and (p. 131.) he terms this edition & *&.
lew* des ftrf." Hentemus, in his preface to the Louvain edition, calls it accumtisnma
et castigatimma BMia." (See also the praises bestowed on it in Masch's edition of Le
Wm n!* 1 ^T' F^' 1 ' V , L ffi - P ' 187<) The title -P & ^ P"fi* to the New
Testament bearsl the o>te i of 1539; though that which is prefixed to the Old Testament is
dated 1540. (Marsh s Letters to Travis, p. 254. note.J It is by this latter date, that
Stephens's best edition of the Vulgate is usually known and cited
II. Sect. IV.]
Antient Latin Versions.
terly manner \ and our learned countryman Thomas James, in his
Bellum Papale, sive Concordia Discors Sixti V. (London, 1600 9 4to.)
who has pointed out very numerous additions, omissions, contradic-
tions, and other differences between the Sixtine and Clementine edi-
tions. 2 From this very curious and now rare volume, the following
specimens of the differences between these two editions are selected,
and arranged.
1. Clauses omitted in the Sixtine, but inserted in the Clementine Bible.
Num. xxx. 11. Uxor in domo viri, <$c. to the end of the verse.
Prov. xxv. 24. Melius est sedere in angulo domatis, $c.
Lev. xx. 9. Patri nmtrique maledixit.
Jiid. xvii. 2, 3. Heddidit ergo eos inatri suec, $c.
1 Kingsiv. 21. Quia capta est area Dei.
3 Kings (same as our first] xii. 10. Sic loqueris ad eos.
2 Chron. ii. 10. JBt mni vigenti mittia metretas.
Matt, xxvii. 35. Ut implerelur quod dictum est per prophetam dicentem, dioiserunt sibi
vestimenta mea, et super vestem meant miserunt sortem.
2. Clauses or words introduced into the Sixtine, but omitted in the
Clementine Bible.
1 Sam. xxiv. 8. Vwil dominus, quia nisi dominus percusserit eum, aut dies ejus venerit
ut moriatur, aut descendens in praelium periret; propitius mifii sit
dominus ut non miltani manum itieam in Christum Domini.
1 Sam. xxv, 6. Exmultis annis salvos facie us tuoset omnia tua.
2 Sam.vi. 12. Dixitque David, ibo et reducam arcam.
2 Sam. viii. 8, De quo fecit Salomo omnia vasa cerea in templo et mare asneum et
columnas et altare.
2 Sam, xix. 10. Et concilium totius Israel venit adregem.
Prov. xxiv. ult. Usque quo piger dormis ? usque quo de somno consurges*
Hab. i. 3. Quare respicis contemptores et taces conculcante impio justiorem se f Et
fades homines quasi pisces maris, et quasi reptilia non habentia ducem
Matt xxiv. 41. Duo in lecto, u?iua assumetur, et unus relinquetur.
Acts xiv. 6. Et commota est omnis multitudo in doctrina eorum t Paulus autem t <Jc.
xxiv. 18, 19. Et apprehenderunt me clamantes et dicentes, tolle inimicum nostrum.
3. Manifest contradictions, or differences between the editions.
Ex. xxiii. 18. Sixtine Tuts, Clementine mea.
Numb, xxxiv. 4. S. Ad meridiem, C. A meridie.
Deut. xvii. 8. S. Inter lepram et non lepram, C. Inter tepram et lepram.
Jos. ii. 18. S. Signum nonfuerit, C. Signumfuerit.
jv. 23. S. Deo nostro, C. Vestro.
xi. 1 9. S. Qua se non traderet, C. Q.UCE se traderet.
xiv. 3. S. Two, C. Meo.
1 Sam, iv. 9. S. Nobis, C. Vobis.
xx. 9. S. A me t C. A te.
1 Kings vii. 9. S. Intrinsecus, C. Extrinsecus.
Hab. i. 13. S. Quare non restricts, C. Respiris.
Heb. v. 11. S. Interpreteibftis, C. Ininlerpretabilis.
2 Pet. i. 16. S, Indoctas, C. Docttts*
4>. Differences in numbers-
Ex, xxiv. 5. S. Vitulos duodecem, C. Vitulos*
xxxii, 28. S. Trigenta tria millia, C. Vigenti millia.
Q Sam. xv. 7. S. Qitatuor, C. Quadrigenta.
1 Kings iv, 42. S, Quinque mittift, C. Quinqite et milk.
2 Kings xiv. 17. S, Viginti Quinque, C. Quindecem.
xxv. 1 9. S. Sex, C. Sexagenta.
2 Chron. xiii, 17* S. Quinquogenta, C. Quingenta.
i Kortholt, de variis Scripture Editionibus, pp. 110 25U
% Additional instances of the contradictions between the above-mentioned papal editions,
together with a defence of the Bellum Papale, may be seen in Mr, James's Treatise of
the Corruptions of Scripture, Councils, and Fathers, by the Prelates, Pastors, and Pillars ot
the Church of Rome, for the Maintenance of Popery," pp,272 358. London, 1688. 8vo.
74? Antient Western Versions of the Scriptures. [Part I. Ch,
5. Other remarkable differences.
3 Sam, iii. 2,3. S. Nee poterat videre lucernam TJei antequam extingueretur.
C. Nee poterat videre; lucerna Dei antequam extingueretur.
1 Kings ii, 28. S. Ad Salomonem, C. Ad Jaob.
2 KJngs xv. 1 9. S. In tkersam, C. In terram.
Judith i. 2. S. Fecit, ejus muros in altitudinem 7O cubitus . this is one of those places
where paper had been pasted on the text, the word first printed was
latitudinem, and altitudinem was printed on a slip of paper, and put
over it, C. Latiludinem.
Ibidem. S. Latitudinem, 30 cu. C. Altitudinem, SO ciibtius.
Job xxxi. 75. S. Si secutus est ocuhts meus cor meum, C. Si secutum et oculos meus
cor meum.
Psa. xli. 3. S. AdDeumfontem vivum, C. Ad jDewnfortem, vivum.
Prov. six. 23. S. Qui affligitpatremetfugit matrem, C. Qui qffligat,$c. etfugat,$c.
xx, 25. S. JDevorare sanctos, C. Devotare sanctos.
Ezek. xiv. 22. S. Egredientur, C. Ingredientur.
Sirach xxxviii.25. S. Sapientiam $crib&, C. Sapientia scribes.
xlii. 9. S. Adulterat C. Adulta.
Isaiah xlvi. 12. S. Justum, C. Avem.
Jer, xvii. 9. S. Cor hominis, C, Hominum* l
Besides the preceding revisions by papal authority, there have
been several others executed by private individuals ; in which the
Latin Vulgate has been so much corrected from the original He-
brew and Greek, that they have in some degree been considered
(though erroneously) as new translations. Of this number are the
Latin Bibles published by Clarius, Eber, and the Osianders.
[i.] Isidore CLARIUS'S edition of the Vulgate first appeared at
Venice in 1542, and is of extreme rarity: it was reprinted at the
same place in 1557 and 1564?. He has not only restored the antient
Latin text, but has also corrected it in a great number of places which
he conceived to be erroneously translated, so as to make them con-
formable to the Hebrew original. Although he corrected more than
eight thousand places^ as he states in his preface, yet he omitted some,
lest he should offend the Roman Catholics by making too many
alterations in the Vulgate version.
[ii.] The method of Clarius was followed by Paul EBEK, who cor-
rected the Vulgate from Luther's German version. His edition was
published at Wittemberg, in 1565, with the addition of Luther's
translation, under the authority of Augustus, Elector of Saxony; and
was reprinted in 1574, in ten volumes, quarto.
[iii.] The edition of Z^fo-OsiANDER appeared in 1578, and has since
been very often reprinted ; as also has a German translation of it,
which was first published at Stutgard in 1 600. Andrew Osiander's
edition was also printed in 1600, and frequently since. They have
both corrected the Vulgate, according to the Hebrew originals; and
have occasioned some confusion to their readers, by inserting their
emendations in a character different from that in which the
text is printed.
4. The Vulgate is regarded by Papists and Protestants in very
different points of view : by the former it has been extolled beyond
measure, while by most of the latter it has been depreciated as much
below its intrinsic merit. Our learned countryman, John Bois
(canon of Ely), was the first who pointed out the real value of this
1 Hamilton's Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures, pp. 163 166.
II. Sect. IV.] The Gothic Version. 75
version, in his Collatio Veteris Interprets cum Bezd aliisgue recen~
tioribus (8vo. 1655). In this work, which is now of extreme rarity,
the author has successfully shown that, in many places, the modern
translators had unduly depreciated the Vulgate, and unnecessarily
departed from it. Bois was followed by Father Simon, in his His-
toire Critique du Texte et des Versions du Nouveau Testament, who has
proved that the more antient the Greek manuscripts and other
versions are, the more closely do they agree with the Vulgate : and
in consequence of the arguments adduced by Simon, the Vulgate
has been more justly appreciated by biblical critics of later times.
Although the Latin Vulgate is neither inspired nor infallible, as
Morinus, Suarez, and other advocates of the Romish Church have
-attempted to maintain, yet it is allowed to be in general a faithful
translation, and sometimes exhibits the sense of Scripture with
greater accuracy than the more modern versions : for all those which
have been made in modern times, by divines in communion with the
Church of Rome, are derived from the Latin Vulgate, which, in
consequence of the decree of the Council of Trent above noticed,
has been substituted for -the original Hebrew and Greek texts. The
Latin Vulgate, therefore, is by no means to be neglected by the bib-
lical critic: and since the Ante-Hieronymian Latin translations are
unquestionably of great antiquity, both lead us to a discovery of the
readings in very antient Greek manuscripts, which existed prior to
the date of any now extant. Even in its present state, notwith-
standing the variations between the Sixtine and Clementine editions,
and that several passages are mistranslated, in order to support the
peculiar dogmas of the Church of Rome, the Latin Vulgate pre-
serves many true readings J , where the modern Hebrew copies are
corrupted. *
II. The GOTHIC VERSION of the Bible was made from the Greek,
both in the Old and in the New Testament, by Ulphilas 3 , a cele-
brated Bishop of the Mseso-Goths, who assisted at the council of
Constantinople in 359, and was sent on an embassy to the emperor
Valens about the year 378. He is said to have embraced Arianism,
and to have propagated Arian tenets among his countrymen. Besides
translating the entire Bible into the Gothic language, Ulphilas is said
to have conferred on the Maeso-Goths the invention of the Gothic
characters. The character, however, in which this version of the
1 Cappell has given numerous examples in his Critica Sacra, lib. ii. cc.vii. is. torn, ii.
pp. 858898. (edit. Scharfenberg).
a The preceding account of the Latin versions has been compiled from Michaelis,
vol. ii. pp.107 129, Semler, Apparatus ad Liberalem Vet. Test. Interpretationem,
pp. 308 314. Carpzov. Critica Sacra, pp. 671 706. Leusden, Philologus Hebrseo-
mixtus, pp. 1 10. Bishop Walton, Prol. c. xi. pp. 470 507. ; and Viser, Herraeneu-
tica Sacra Novi Testamenti, vol. ii. partiii. pp.73 96. See also Muntinghe's Expositio
Critices Veteris Fcederis, pp. H9 156.; and Hug's Introduction, vol. i. pp.464 483.
For the principal editions of the Latin versions of the Scriptures, see the Appendix,
pp. 4446.
3 This," says Bishop Marsh, (t is an original German name, and is a diminutive of the
word Wolf: it is written in correct German, Wolfelein, but corruptly pronounced
Woifila or Wulfila, in the dialects of Switzerland, Bavaria, and Austria, to which that of
the Ms&so- Goths, who likewise inhabited the banks of the Danube, is nearly allied." Mi-
chaelis, vol. ii. partii. p. 631,
76 Antient Western Versions of the Swiptures. [Part I. Ch.
New Testament is written, is, in fact, the Latin character of that
age; and the degree of perfection, which the Gothic language had
obtained during "the time of Ulphilas, is a proof that it had then
been written for some time.
The translation of Ulphilas (who had been educated among the
Greeks) was executed from the Greek : but, from its coincidence in
many instances with the Latin, there is reason to suspect that it has
been interpolated, though at a remote period, from the Vulgate. Its
unquestionable antiquity, however, and its general fidelity, have con-
curred to give this version a high place in the estimation of biblical
clitics : but s unfortunately, it has not come down to us entire . The
only parts extant in print are, a fragment of the book of Nehemiah,
a considerable portion of the four Gospels, and some portions of
the apostolic epistles. l
III. The SCLAVONIC, or Old Russian Version, was also made
from the Greek, both in the Old and New Testaments. It is ascribed
to the two brothers, Cyril ' 2 (or Con stan tine, surnamed the Philoso-
pher on account of his learning,) and Methodius, sons of Leo a
Greek nobleman of Thessalonica, who, in the latter part of the
ninth century, first preached the Gospel among the Moravo-Sclavo-
nians : but it is questionable, whether these missionaries translated
the whole of the sacred code, or whether their labours comprised
only the books of the New Testament and the Psalms of David.
M. Dobrowsky (who has bestowed more pains on the critical study
of the Sclavonic Scriptures than any person now living) is of opinion
" that, with the exception of the Psalms, no part of the Old Testa-
ment was translated at so early a period. So much, however, is
certain, that the book of Proverbs must have been translated before,
or in the twelfth century, as the frequent quotations made from it
by Nestor (author of the Russian Chronicle, who died in 1156,)
agree, on the whole, with the common text. The books of Job, on
me other hand, the Prophets, and the apocryphal books of Wis-
dom and Ecclesiasticus, appear to have been done in Servia, in the
thirteenth or fourteenth century ; and the Pentateuch and remaining
books in the fifteenth, either in Russia or Poland, at which time the
whole were collected into one volume, and arranged according to
the order of the books in the Bohemian Bible, printed in 1488
or 1489." The extreme rarity and recent date of MSS. of the
entire Sclavonic Bible greatly corroborated this hypothesis of
M. Dobrowsky, respecting the late execution of this version of
the Old Testament* 3 Dr. Henderson has shown, by actual col-
1 Michaelis, vol. ii. parti, pp.130 153. H9 J52. Hug, vol. i, pp.498 513.
2 To this Cyril is ascribed the invention of the Sclavonic letters : " But, it is manifest,
this invention consisted in nothing more than the adaptation of the uncial characters of the
Greek alphabet, so far as they went, to express the sounds of the new language, with the ad-
dition of certain other letters, borrowed or changed from other alphabets, to make up the
deficiency. He also substituted Sclavonic for the Phenician names of the letters ; on
which account the alphabet has been called the Cyrillic, after his name.*' Dr. Henderson's
Biblical Researches and Travels in Russia, p. 67. (London, 1826.) In pp. 60- 102. the
learned traveller has given an extended and very interesting account of the Sclavonic lan-
guage and sacred literature, from which the present notice of the Sclavonic version is
abridged. 3 Ibid. pp. 73, 74.
II. Sect. IV.] The Anglo-Saxon Version. 77
Iation 3 that the Sclavonic text of the Old Testament, in the editio
princeps of the Bible printed at Ostrog in 1581, was made with the
assistance of the Vulgate or some antient Latin MSS. found in the
Bulgarian monasteries, or that it was at least 'revised and altered
according to them : and he is of opinion that, if this edition were
carefully collated, it would yield a rich harvest of various readings,
some of which might prove of essential service to a future editor of
the Septuagint. 1
According to Professor Hug, the Sclavonic version exhibits the
text of the Constantinopolitan recension, M, Dobrowsky pro-
nounces it to be a very literal translation from the Greek, the Greek
construction being very frequently retained, even where it is con-
trary to the genius of the Sclavonian language; and in general it
resembles the most antient manuscripts, with which it agrees, even
where their united evidence is against the common printed reading,
" It contains at least three fourths of the readings which Grieshach
has adopted into his text" [in his critical edition of the New Tes-
mentQ. " Where he has few authorities, the Sclavonic mostly cor-
roborates the authority of the textus receptus : and, where a great
agreement obtains among the antient MSS. in favour of a reading,
it joins them against the common editions. It varies from Theo-
phylact as often as it agrees with him, and has neither been altered
from him nor the Vulgate:"' 2 and it possesses few or no lectiones
singulares, or readings peculiar to itself. 3 From an edition of this
version, printed at Moscow in 1614, M. Alter selected the readings
of the Four Gospels, and from a manuscript in the imperial library,
the readings of the Acts and Epistles, which are printed in his
edition of the Greek New Testament. (Vienna, 1787, 2 vols. 8vo-)
M. Dobrowsky states that these various Jections are given with great
accuracy, but that those which Matthai has selected from the Re-
velation are erroneous and useless. Griesbach has given a catalogue
of the Sclavonic manuscripts collated for his edition of the New
Testament, communicated to him by Dobrowsky. 4
IV. ANGLO-SAXON VERSION. Although Christianity was planted
in Britain in the first century, it does not appear that the Britons
had any translation of the Scriptures in their language earlier than
the eighth century. About the year 706, Adhelm, the first bishop
of Sherborn, translated the Psalter into Saxon : and at his earnest
persuasion, Egbert or Eadfrid, bishop of Lindisfarne, or Holy Island,
soon after executed a Saxon version of the Four Gospels. 5 Not
i Dr. Henderson's Biblical Researches and Travels in Russia, p. 88.
Ibid. pp. 89, 90.
3 Dr. Henderson cprroborates this account of M. Dobrowsky, and slates that this ver-
sion may be considered as one of the most verbal ever executed. Not only is every
word and particle scrupulously expressed, and made, in general, to occupy the same place
In the translation that it does in the original, but the derivation and compounds, as well
as the grammatical forms, are all successfully imitated." (Ibid, pp. 91, 9&)
* Michaelis, vol.ii. pp. 153 158. fi36, 637. Griesbach, Prolegomena, vol.i. pp.cxxvii.
cxxxii. Beck, Monograminata Hermeneutices Novi Testament!, pp. 108, 109. Hug,
vol. i, pp.513 517.
9 The manuscript of this translation is now deposited in the Cottonian Library in the
British Museum (Nero, j>, iv.) ; Mr. Astle has given a specimen of it in plate xiv. of his
* e Origin and Progress of Writing," and has described it in pp. 1OO, 101.
78 Antient Western Versions of the Scriptures. [Part I. Ch.
many years after this, the learned and venerable Bede (who died
A, u. 735) translated the entire Bible into that language. There
were other Saxon versions, either of the whole or of detached por-
tions of the Scriptures, of a later date. A translation of the book
of Psalms was undertaken by the illustrious King Alfred, who died
A. D. 900, when it was about half finished : and Elfric, who was
archbishop of Canterbury in 995, translated the Pentateuch, Joshua,
Job, Judith, part of the book of Kings, Esther, and Maccabees.
The entire Anglo-Saxon version of the Bible has never been printed :
King Alfred's translation of the Psalms, with the interlineary Latin
text, was edited by John Spelman, 4to. London, 1640; and there
is another Saxon interlineary translation of the Psalter, deposited in
the Archiepiscopal Library at Lainbeth. Of the Four Gospels, there
have been three editions printed : an account of which will be found
in the Appendix, pp. 48, 49.
The Anglo-Saxon version being evidently translated from the Old
"ijLatin, Michaelis is of opinion that it may be of use in determining
the readings of that version ; and Semler has remarked, that it con-
tains many readings which vary both from the Greek and Latin texts,
of which he has given some examples. Dr. Mill selected various
lections from this version ; which, from the difference of style and
inequalities observable in its execution, he ascribes to several au-
thors : it is supposed to have been executed in the eighth century. *
On the application of antient versions to the ascertaining of various
readings, see Part I. Chap. V. of this volume ; and on the benefit
which may be derived from them in the interpretation of the Scrip-
tures, see Part II. Book I. Chap. II. Sect. I. 2.
i Johnson's Hist. Account of English Translations of the Bible, in Bishop Watson's
Collection of Theological Tracts, vol. iii. pp. 61 63. Bp. Marsh's Michaelis, vol. ii.
pp, 158. 637. Kortholt, pp,351 553. Semler, Apparatus ad Lib, Novi Test. Interp.
pp. 72, 73.
III. Sect, L] On the Manuscripts of the Bible.
79
CHAPTER III.
ON THE MANUSCRIPTS OF THE BIBLE*
Form of a SYNAGOGUE ROIL of the Pentateuch.
SECTION L
ON THE HEBREW MANUSCRIPTS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.
L Different classes of Hebrew Manuscripts. II. The Rolled Manuscripts
of the Synagogues. III. The Square Manuscripts used by the Jews
in private life. IV. Antient Recensions or Editions of Hebrew Manit*
scripts. V. Age of Hebrew Manuscripts. VI. Of the order in which
the Sacred BOOKS are arranged in Manuscripts. Number of Books
contained in different Manuscripts. VII. Modern Families or Recen-
sions of Hebrew Manuscripts, VIII. Notice of the most antient Manu~
scripts. IX. Brief notice of the Manuscripts of the Indian Jews*
ALTHOUGH, as we have already seen, the Hebrew text of the
Old Testament has descended to our times uncorrupted, yet, with
all the care which the antient copyists could bestow, it was impossibe
to preserve it free from mistakes, arising from the interchanging of
the similar letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and other circumstances
incident to the transcription of antient manuscripts. The Rabbins
boldly asserted, and, through a credulity rarely to be paralleled, it
was implicitly believed, that the Hebrew text was absolutely free
from error, and that in all the manuscripts of the Old Testament
not a single various reading of importance could be produced. Fa-
ther Morin was the first person who ventured to impugn this notion
in his Exercitationes in utrumque Samaritanorum Pentatei^chum^ pub-
lished at Paris in 1631 ; and he grounded his opinion of the incor-
rectness of the Hebrew manuscripts on the differences between the
Hebrew and the Samaritan texts in the Pentateuch, and on the dif-
ferences between the Hebrew and the Septuagint in other parts of
the Bible. Morinus was soon after followed by Louis Cappel,
(whose Critica Sacra was published in 1650,) who pointed out a
great number of errors in the printed Hebrew, and showed how
they might be corrected by the antient versions and the common
80 On the Hebrew Manuscripts [Part I. Ch.
rules of criticism. He did not, however, advert to the most obvious
and effectual means of emendation, namely, a collation of Hebrew
manuscripts ; and, valuable as his labours unquestionably are, it is
certain that he neither used them himself, nor invited others to have
recourse to them, in order to correct the sacred text. Cappel was
assailed by various opponents, but chiefly by the younger Buxtorf
in his AnticriticcL) published at Basil in 1653, who attempted, but
in vain, to refute the principles he had established. In 1657 Bishop
Walton, in his Prolegomena to the London Polyglott Bible, declared
in favour of the principles asserted by Cappel, acknowledged the ne-
cessity of forming a critical apparatus for the purpose of obtaining,
a more correct text of the Hebrew Bible, and materially contributed
to the formation of one by his own exertions. Subsequent biblical
critics acceded to the propriety of their arguments, and since the mid-
dle of the seventeenth century, the importance and necessity of col-
lating Hebrew manuscripts have been generally acknowledged. l
I. Hebrew manuscripts are divided into two CLASSES, viz. auto-
graphs, or those written by the inspired penmen themselves, which
have long since perished ; and apograp/is, or copies made from the
originals, and multiplied by repeated transcription. These apo-
graphs are also divided into the more antient, which formerly enjoyed
the highest authority among the Jews, but have in like manner
perished long ago ; and into the more modern, which are found dis-
persed in various public and private libraries. The manuscripts
which are still extant, are subdivided into the rolled manuscripts
used in the synagogues, and into the square manuscripts which are
used by private individuals among the Jews.
II. The Pentateuch was read in the Jewish synagogues from the
earliest times; and, though the public reading of it was intermitted
during the Babylonish captivity, it was resumed shortly after the
return of the Jews. Hence numerous copies were made from time
to time; and as they held the books of Moses in the most ' supersti-
tious veneration, various regulations were made for the guidance of
the transcribers, who were obliged to conform to them in copying
the ROLLS destined for the use of the synagogue. The date of these
regulations is not known, but they are long posterior to the Talmud ;
and though many of them are the most ridiculous and useless that
can be well conceived, yet the religious observance of them, which
has continued for many centuries, has certainly contributed in a great
degree to preserve the purity of the Pentateuch. The following are
a few of the principal of these regulations.
The copies of the law must be transcribed from antient manu-
scripts of approved character only, with pure ink, on parchment pre-
pared from tlie hide of a clean animal, for this express purpose, by
a Jew, and fastened together by the strings of clean animals; every,
skin must contain a certain number of columns of prescribed length
wl breadth, each column comprising a given number of lines and
s; no word must be written by heart or with points, or without
1 Bisbop Marsh's Lectures, .part ii. p. 99.
III. Sect, L] Of the Old Testament. 81
being first orally pronounced by the copyist ; the name of God is
not to be written but with the utmost devotion and attention, and
previously to writing it, he must wash his pen. The want of a single
letter, or the redundance of a single letter, the writing of prose as
verse, or verse as prose, respectively vitiates a manuscript ; and when
a copy has been completed, it must be examined and corrected within
thirty days after the writing has been finished, in order to determine
whether it is to be approved or rejected. These rules, it is said, are
observed to the present day by the persons who transcribe the sa-
cred writings for the use of the synagogue. * The form of one of
these rolled manuscripts (from the original among the Harleian MSS.
in the British Museum, No. 7619.) is given in the vignette at the
head of this section. It is a large double roll, containing the Hebrew
Pentateuch ,* written with very great care on forty bi* own African
skins. These skins are of different breadths, some containing more
columns than others. The columns are one hundred and fifty-three
in number, each of which contains about sixty-three lines, is about
twenty-two inches deep, and generally more than five inches broad.
The letters have no points, apices, or flourishes about them. The
initial words are not larger than the rest ; and a space, equal to about
four lines, is left between every two books. Altogether, this is one
of the finest specimens of the synagogue-rolls that has been preserved
to the present time.
III. The SQUARE MANUSCRIPTS, which are in private use, are written
with black ink, either on vellum or on parchment, or on paper, and
of various sizes, folio, quarto, octavo, and duodecimo- Those which
are copied on paper are considered as being the most modern ; and
they frequently have some one of the Targ'ums or Chaldee Para-
phrases, either subjoined to the text in alternate verses, or placed in
parallel columns with the text, or written in the margin of the manu-
script. The characters are, for the mast part, those which are called
the square Chaldee ; though a few manuscripts are written with rab-
binical characters, but these are invariably of recent date. Biblical
critics, who are conversant with the Hebrew manuscripts, have dis-
tinguished three sorts of characters, each differing in the beauty of
their form. The Spanish character is perfectly square, simple, and
elegant : the types of the quarto Hebrew Bibles, printed by Robert
Stephen and by Plantin, approach the nearest to this character. The
German, on the contrary, is crooked, intricate, and inelegant, in every
respect ; and the Italian character holds a middle place between these
two. The pages are usually divided into three columns of various
lengths ; and the initial letters of the manuscripts are frequently il-
luminated and ornamented with gold. In many manuscripts the 1
Masora a is added ; what is called the larger Masora being placed
above and below the columns of the text, and the smaller Masora
facing inserted in the blank spaces between the columns*
IV. In the period between the sixth and the tenth centuries, the
Jews had two celebrated academies, one at Babylon in the east, and
1 Carpzov. Critica Sacra Vet. Test. pp. 371, 372,
9 See an account of the Masora in Chap, IV. Sect I. IV. infra.
VOL, II* G .
82 On the Hebrew Manuscripts [Part I. Ch.
another at Tiberias in the west; where their literature was cultivated,
and the Scriptures were very frequently transcribed. Hence arose
two RECENSIONS or editions of the Hebrew Scriptures, which were
collated in the eighth or ninth century. The differences or various
readings observed in them were noted, and have been transmitted
to our time under the appellation of the oriental and occidental or
eastern and western readings. They are variously computed at 210,
216, and 220, and are printed by Bishop Walton in the Appendix
to his splendid edition of the Polyglott Bible. In the early part of
the eleventh century, Aaron ben Asher, president of the academy
at Tiberias, and Jacob ben Naphtali, president of the academy at Ba-
bylon, collated the manuscripts of the oriental and occidental Jews.
The discrepancies observed by these eminent Jewish scholars amount
to upwards of 864; with one single exception, they relate to the
vowel points, and, consequently, are of little value; they are also
printed by Bishop Walton. The western Jews, and our printed
editions of the Hebrew Scriptures, almost wholly follow the recen-
sion of Aaron ben Asher.
Among the Jews five exemplars have been particularly celebrated
for their singular correctness, and from them all their subsequent
copies have been made. These standard copies bear the names of
the Codex of Hillel, of Ben Asher, which is also called thePalestine
or Jerusalem Codex, of Ben Naphtali, or the Babylonian Codex, the
Pentateuch of Jericho, and the Codex Sinai.
1. The Codex of Hillel was a celebrated manuscript which Rabbi
Kimchi (who lived in the twelfth century) says that he saw at Toledo,
though Rabbi Zacuti, who flourished towards the close of the fif-
teenth century, states that part of it had been sold and sent into
Africa. Who this Hillel was, the learned are by no means agreed ;
some have supposed that he was the very eminent Rabbi Hillel who
lived about sixty years before the birth of Christ ; others imagine
that he was the grandson of the illustrious Rabbi Jehudah Hakka- j
dosh, who wrote the Misna, and that he flourished about the middle
of the fourth century. Others, again, suppose that he was a Spanish
Jew, named Hillel; but Bauer, with greater probability, supposes
the manuscript to have been of more recent date, and written in
Spain, because it contains the vowel points, and all the other gram-
matical minutiae ; and that the feigned name of Hillel was inscribed
on its title in order to enhance its value.
2, 3. The Codices of Ben Asher and Ben Naphtali have already
been noticed. We may, however, state, on the authority of Mai-
monides, that the first of these was held in most repute in Egypt, as
having been revised and corrected in very many places by Ben Asher
himself, and that it was the exemplar which he (Maimonides) followed
in copying the law, in conformity with the custom of the Jews.
4. The Codex of Jericho is highly commended by Rabbi Elias
-Levita, as being the most correct copy of the Law of Moses, and
exhibiting the defective and full words.
5. The Codex Sinai was also a ver,y correct manuscript of the
Pentateuch^ that presented some variation in the accents, in which
respect it differed from the former, A sixth Codex, called Sanbouki,
III. Sect. L] Of the Old Testament. 83
is mentioned by Pere Simon, as having been seen by him ; but no-
thing certain is known respecting its date, or by whom it was written.
V. As the authority of manuscripts depends greatly on their an-
tiquity, it becomes a point of considerable importance to ascertain
their AGE as exactly as possible. Now this may be effected either
by external testimony or by internal marks.
1. External testimony is sometimes afforded by the subscriptions
annexed by the transcribers, specifying the time when they copied
the manuscripts. But this criterion cannot always be depended
upon : for instances have occurred, in which modern copyists have
added antient and false dates in order to enhance the value of their
labours. As, however, by far the greater number of manuscripts
have no subscriptions or other criteria by which to ascertain their
date, it becomes necessary to resort to the evidence of
2. Internal MarJcs. Of these, the following are stated by Dr.
Kennicott and M, De Rossi to be the principal: 1. The inelegance
or rudeness of the character (Jablonski lays down the simplicity and
elegance of the character as a criterion of antiquity) ; 2. The yel-
low colour of the vellum ; 3. The total absence, or at least the
very rare occurrence, of the Masora, and of the Keri and Ketib ] ;
4. The writing of the Pentateuch throughout in one book, without
any greater mark of distinction appearing at the beginning of books
than at the beginning of sections ; 5. The absence of critical
emendations and corrections ; 6. The absence of the vowel points ;
7- Obliterated letters, being written and re-written with ink ;
8. The frequent occurrence of the name Jehovah in lieu of Adonai ;
9. The infrequency of capital and little letters ; 10. The inser-
tion of points to fill up blank spaces; II. The non-division of
some books and psalms ; 12. The poetical books not being distin-
guished from those in prose by dividing them into hemistichs ;
13. Readings frequently differing from the Masoretic copies, but
agreeing with the Samaritan text, with antient versions, and with the
quotations of the fathers. The conjunction of all, or of several, of
these internal marks, is said to afford certain criteria of the antiquity
of Hebrew manuscripts. But the opinions of the eminent critics
above named have been questioned by Professors Bauer and Tychsen,
who have advanced strong reasons to prove that they are uncertain
guides in determining the age of manuscripts. The most antient
Hebrew manuscripts are all written without any divisions of words,
as is evident not only from antient Hebrew coins and Palmyrene
inscriptions, but also from various passages in the most antient trans-
lations, the authors of which frequently adopted a division of words,
altogether different from that of the Masorites. This circumstance
is also corroborated by the rabbinical tradition, that the law was for-
merly one verse and one word. It is impossible to determine the
time, when the Hebrews began to divide words in manuscripts : we
only know from the researches of Dr. Kennicott and other eminent
Hebrew critics, that all the antient interpreters used manuscripts
written in one continued series ; that MSS. of more recent date (the
1 For an account of these, see. Chap, IV. Sect, I. IV. infra.
Gr 2
$4? On the Hebrew Manuscripts [Part I. Ch.
thirteenth century) are still extant in which the same mode of writ-
ing appears, for instance, the MSS. numbered 290. and 293. by
Dr. Kennicott ; and that some vestiges of the division of words are
to be found in the Talmudical writings, and in Jerome. *
VI. A twofold ORDER of ARRANGEMENT of the sacred books is ob-
servable in Hebrew manuscripts, \ iz. the Talmudical and the Masoretic.
Originally,' the different books of the Old Testament were not joined
together: according to Rabbi Elias Levita (the most learned Jewish
writer on the subject), they were first joined together by the mem-
bers of the great synagogue, who divided them into three parts,
the law, the prophets, and hagiographa, and who placed the prophets
and hagiographa in a different order from that assigned by the Tal-
mudists in the book intitled Baba Bathra.
The following is the Talmudical arrangement of the Old Testa-
ment : Of the Prophets, Joshua 3 Judges, Samuel, Kings ( 1 and 2),
Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Minor Prophets (in one
book). Of the Hagiographa^ Ruth, Psalms, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song
of Solomon, Lamentations, Esther, Chronicles. By the Masorites,
the Prophets are placed in the same order, with the exception of
Isaiah, who precedes Jeremiah and Ezekiel, because he flourished
before them. This arrangement is adopted in the manuscripts of
the Spanish Jews, while the Talmudical order is preserved in those
of the German and French Jews. In the Hagiographa the Maso-
rites have departed from the arrangement of the Talmudists, and
place the books comprised in that division thus : Psalms, Job,
Proverbs, Ruth, the Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations
of Jeremiah, Esther, Daniel, and Ezra. This mode of arrangement
obtains in the Spanish manuscripts. But in the German MSS.
they are thus disposed : Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Five Megilloth
(or books), Daniel, Ezra, and Chronicles ; and the Five Megilloth
(or books) are placed in the order in which they are usually read in
their synagogues, viz. the Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of
Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes* and Esther.
There are, however, several manuscripts extant, which depart both
from the Talmudicai and from the Masoretical order, and have an
arrangement peculiar to themselves. Thus, in the Codex Norim-
bergensis 1. (No. 198. of Dr. Kennicott's catalogue), which was writ-
ten A. D. 1291, the books are thus placed : the Pentateuch, Joshua,
Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Twelve Mi-
nor Prophets, Ruth, Esther, Psalms, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of So-
lomon, Lamentations, Proverbs, Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah (in
one book), and Chronicles. In the Codex, No. 94., written A. D.
1285 (in the university library, at Cambridge), and also in No. 102.,
a manuscript in the British Museum, written early in the fourteenth
century, the books of Chronicles precede the Psalms ; Job is placed
before the Proverbs ; Ruth before the Song of Solomon ; and Eccle-
siastes before the Lamentations. In the Codex, No. 130., a ma-
nuscript of the same date (in the library of the Royal Society of
London), Chronicles and Ruth precede the Psalms; and in the
1 Muntinglioe, Expositio Crit. Vet. Feed, pp, 40, 41,
III. Sect. L] Of the Old Testament. fii
Codex, No. 96., (in the library of St. John's College, Cambridge,)
written towards the close of the fourteenth century, and also in many
other MSS., Jeremiah takes precedence of Isaiah. In the Codex
Regiomontanus 2. (No. 224?.), written early in the twelfth century,
Jeremiah is placed before Ezekiel, whose book is followed by that of
Isaiah : then succeed the Twelve Minor Prophets. The Hagiogra-
pha are thus disposed : Ruth, Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes,
Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Daniel, Esther, Ezra and Nehe-
miah (in one book), and the books of Chronicles (also in one book).
The order pursued in the Codex Ebnerianus 2. is altogether dif-
ferent from the preceding, Samuel follows Jeremiah, who is suc-
ceeded by the two books of Kings, and by part of the prophecy of
Ezekiel : then comes part of Isaiah, The Twelve Minor Prophets
are written in one continued discourse ; and are followed by Ruth,
Psalms, Job, Proverbs with Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon,
Lamentations, Daniel, Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles.
Of the various Hebrew manuscripts which have been preserved,
few contain the Old Testament entire : the greater part comprise
only particular portions of it, as the Pentateuch, five Megilloth, and
Haphtaroth, or sections of the prophets which are read on the sab-
bath-days ; the Prophets or the Hagiographa. Some, indeed, are
confined to single books, as the Psalms, the book of Esther, the Song
of Solomon, and the Haphtaroth. This diversity in the contents of
manuscripts is occasioned, partly by the design of the copyist, who
transcribed the whole or part of the sacred writings for particular pur-
poses ; and partly by the mutilations caused by the consuming hand
of time. Several instances of such mutilations are given in the account
of the principal Hebrew MSS. now extant, in pp. 87 89. infra.
VII. As the Hebrew manuscripts which have been in use since
the eleventh century have all been corrected according to some par-
ticular recension or edition, they have from this circumstance been
classed into FAMILIES, according to the country where such recension
Las obtained. These families or recensions are three or four in
number, viz.
1. The SpanisJi Manuscripts, which were corrected after the Codex
of Hillel. They follow the Masoretic system with great accuracy,
and are on this account highly valued by the Jews, though some He-
brew critics hold them in little estimation. The characters are writ-
ten with great elegance, and are perfectly square : the ink is pale ;
the pages are seldom divided into three columns ; the Psalms are
divided into hemistichs; and the Chaldee paraphrases are not inter-
lined, but written in separate columns, or are inserted in the margin
in smaller letters. Professor Tychsen speaks in high terms of the
caligraphy of the Spanish manuscripts. As the Spanish monks ex-
celled in that art, he thinks the Jews, who abounded in Spain in the
twelfth and thirteenth centuries, acquired it from them, and he ap-
peals to manuscripts which he had seen, where the letters are through-
out so equal, that the whole has the appearance of print. 1
i Tychsen, Tentamen de variis Cod. Heb. MSS, pp. 302303*
Gr 3
86 On tlie Hebrew Manuscripts [Part I. Ch>
2. The Oriental Manuscripts are nearly the same as the Spanish
manuscripts, and may be referred to the same class.
3. The German Manuscripts are written with less elegance than
the Spanish codices : their characters are more rudely formed ; the
initial letters are generally larger than the rest, and ornamented ;
the ink is very black. They do not follow the Masoretic notation,
and frequently vary from the Masoretic manuscripts, exhibiting im-
portant readings that are not to be found in the Spanish manuscripts,
but which agree with the Samaritan text of the Pentateuch, and with
the antient versions. The Chaldee paraphrases are inserted in al-
ternate verses. This class of manuscripts is little esteemed by the
Jews, but most highly valued by biblical critics.
4. The Italian Manuscripts hold a middle place .between the
Spanish and German codices, and sometimes have a nearer affinity
to one class than to the other, both in the shape of the Hebrew
characters, and also as it respects their adherence to or neglect of
the Masoretic system. M. Bruns 3 the able assistant of Dr. Kenni-
cott in collating Hebrew manuscripts, has given engraved specimens
of the Spanish, German, and Italian manuscripts, in his edition of
Dr. K/s Dissertatio Generalis (8vo. Brunswick, 1783); and Professor
Tychsen has given fourteen Hebrew alphabets, of various ages and
countries, at the end of his Tentamen de variis Codicum Hebrseo-
rum Vet. Test. MSS. Generibus. Antient and unpointed Hebrew
manuscripts, written for the use of the synagogues, and those Maso-
retic Spanish exemplars, which have been transcribed by a learned
person, and for a learned person, from some famous and correct
copy, are preferred by M. De Rossi to the copies written for pri-
vate use, or even for the synagogue, from Masoretic exemplars, of
which last the number is very great. But M. Bauer pronounces
those manuscripts to be the best, whose various lections are most fre-
quently confirmed by the antient versions, especially by the Alexan-
drian and Syriac, and also by the Samaritan Pentateuch and version. x
VIU. M. De Rossi has divided Hebrew manuscripts into three
classes, viz. 1. More antient^ or those written before the twelfth cen-
tury ; 2. Antient, or those written in the thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries ; 3. More recent, or those written at the end of the four-
teenth, or at the beginning of the fifteenth century. The most re-
cent, or those written since the fifteenth century, which are very
numerous, and are those found in the synagogues, he pronounces to
be of little or no use, unless it can be proved that they have been
transcribed from antient apographs. The total number of Hebrew
manuscripts collated by Dr. Kennicott for his critical edition of the
Hebrew Bible is about six hundred and thirty. The total number
collated by M. De Rossi for his Collection of Various Readino-s,
is four hundred and seventy-nine manuscripts, besides two hundred
Walton, Prolegpm. c. iv. 112. pp. 171184. cc. vii. yiii. -pp. 225331. edit
Dathu. Carpzov. Cntica Sacra, pp. 283-387. Dr. Kennicott, diss. i. pp.313 317 ".
also his Dissertatio Generalis, passim. Jahn, Introd. ad Vet. Fcedus, pp' 1 53-1] 70'
Bauer, Critfca Sacra, pp. 215-226. 343-407. De Rossi. Var. Lect. torn, i Prole-
gonu xi, xix. pp, jj, j y.rzz.
III. Sect. L] Of the Old Testament. 7-
and eighty-eight printed editions. The following are the most
antient manuscripts collated by Dr. Kennicott.
1. The CODEX LAUDIANUS, A. 172 and 162, and numbered 1. in Dr,
Kennicott's list of Hebrew manuscripts. Though now in two folio parts,
it is evident that they originally formed only one volume : each part con-
sists of quinquernions, or gatherings of five sheets or ten leaves, and at
the bottom of every tenth leaf is a catch-word beginning the next leaf,
which is the first of the succeeding gathering of ten leaves. But at
the end of the first part or volume, there is pasted on, one leaf of the
next quinquernion, completing the book of Deuteronomy ; so that this
volume concludes with five sheets and one leaf over. And the first ga-
thering in the second volume consists of only four sheets and one leaf,
which last is likewise pasted on, for want of its fellow-leaf. This manu-
script is written on vellum, according to Dr. Kennicott, in the Spanish
character, but in the opinion of Dr, Bruns it is in the Italic character, to ;
which M. De Rossi assents. The letters, which are moderately large,
are plain, simple, and elegant, but universally unadorned ; and they were
originally written without points, as is evident from the different colour
of the ink in the letters and in the points. Some of the letters, having
become obliterated by the lapse of ages, have been written over a second
time ; and though such places were re-written in the same strong cha-
racter, yet many of the words were becoming a second time invisible,
when collated by Dr. K. This eminent critic assigns it to the tenth cen-
tury, but De Rossi refers it to the eleventh. The Laudian manuscript
begins with Gen. xxvii. 31. : it contains fourteen thousand variations from
Vander Hooght's edition of the Hebrew Bible. More than two thousand
are found in the Pentateuch, which confirm the Septuagint Greek ver-
sion in one hundred and nine various readings ; the Syriac, in ninety-
eight ; the Arabic, in eighty-two ; the Vulgate or Latin Version, in eighty-
eight ; and the Chaldee Paraphrase, in forty-two : it also agrees with the
Samaritan Pentateuch against the printed Hebrew, in seven hundred in-
stances. What renders this manuscript the more valuable is, that it pre-
serves a word of great importance for understanding 2 Sam, xxiii. 3 ?
which word is confirmed by the Greek version, and thus recovers to us
a prophecy of the Messiah. ]
2. The CODEX CARLSRUHENSIS 1. (No. 154<. of Dr. Kennicott's list of
manuscripts,) formerly belonged to the celebrated and learned Reuehlin,
whose efforts contributed so much towards the revival of literature in the
fifteenth century. This manuscript is now preserved in the public library
at Carlsruhe, and is the oldest that has a certain date. It is in square
folio, and was written in the year of the world 4866, corresponding with
1106 of our sera. It contains the Prophets with the Targuni.
3. The CODEX VIENNTB (No. 590. of Kennicott) contains the Prophets
and Hagiographa. It is written on vellum in folio, and if the date in its
subscription be correct (A.D. 1018 or 1019), it is more antient than the
preceding, 'Bruns collected two hundred important various readings from
this manuscript. The points have been added by a later hand. Accord-
ing to Adler's enumeration, it consists of four hundred and seventy-one
leaves, and two columns, each column containing twenty-one lines.
i Kennicott, Dissert. I. pp. 315 319- Dissert, II. pp. 533,534, Biblia Hcbraica,
torn. ii. Dissert. Oeneralis, pp. 70, 71. De Eossi, Variw Lcctioncs, torn. i. Proleg.
p. zix*
G 4-
$3 On the Hebrew Manuscripts [Part I. Ch.
4. The CODEX CJESENJE, in the Malatesta Library at Bologna (No. 536.
of Kennicott), is a folio manuscript written on vellum, in the German
character, towards the end of the eleventh century. It contains the Pen-
tateuch, the Haphtaroth or sections of the Prophetical Books, and the
Megilloth or five Books of Canticles, or the Song of Solomon, Ruth, the
Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and Esther. De Eossi pronounces
it to be a most antient and valuable manuscript, and states that in its mar-
gin are inserted some various readings of still more antient manuscripts. l
5. The CODEX FLORENTINUS 2. (No. 162. of Kennicott) is written on
vellum, in quarto, in a square Spanish character, with points, towards the
end of the eleventh, or at the latest, in the beginning of the twelfth cen-
tury. It contains the books of Joshua, Judges, and Samuel. Very many
of the letters, which were obliterated by time, have been renewed by a
later hand.
6. The CODEX MEDIOLANENSIS, 9. (193. of Kennicott) is written on
vellum, in, octavo, in the German character, towards the close of the
twelfth century. It has neither the points nor the Masora. This manu-
script comprises the Pentateuch ; the beginning of the book of Genesis, and
the end of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, have been written by a later hand.
Both erasures and alterations occur in this manuscript, and sometimes a
worse reading is substituted in palace of one that is preferable. Never-
theless it contains many good various readings.
7. The CODJEX NOHIMBERGENSIS 4. (201. of Kennicott) is a folio manu-
script, written on thin vellum, in the German character, and containing
the Prophets and Hagiographa. It" is mutilated in various parts. It is of
great antiquity, and from the similarity of its character to that of the Codex
Carlsruhensis, both Dr. Kennicott and M* De Rossi assign it to the be-
ginning of the twelfth century.
8. The CODEX PARISIENSIS 27- (Regius 29. 210. of Kennicott) is a
quarto manuscript of the entire Bible, written on vellum, in an elegant
Italic character. The initial words are, with few exceptions, of the same
size as the rest. The Masora and Keri are both wanting; and the Megilloth
precede the books of Chronicles. It is highly valued by Kennicott and
De Rossi, who refer it also to the beginning of the twelfth century.
9. Coeval with the preceding is the CODEX REGIOMONTANUS 2. (224?.
* of Kennicottg) written in the Italic character, in small folio. This manuscript
contains the Prophets and the Hagiographa, but it is mutilated in various
places. The initial letters are larger than the others, and three of the
poetical books are written in hemistichg.
10. To the beginning of the twelfth century likewise is to be referred
the CODEX PARISIENSIS 24. (San-Germanensis 2. No. 366. of Kennicott) :
it is written on vellum, in large quarto. It is imperfect from Jer. xxix.19.
to xxxviii. 2. ; and from Hosea iv. 4?. to Amos vi. 12. Isaiah follows Ezekiel
according to the Talmudical Canon. 3
The following are among the most antient of the manuscripts in
the possession of the late M. De Rossi., and collated by him, viz.
1. The Codex, by him numbered 634-., which is in quarto. It contains
a fragment of the books of Leviticus and Numbers, from Levit. xxi. 19-
to Numb. i.50. ; and exhibits every mark of the remotest antiquity. The
vellum on which it is written is decayed by age ; the character is inter-
mediate, or Italic, approaching to that of the German manuscripts.
The letters are all of an uniform size ; there is no trace of the Masora, or
T t)e Eossi, torn. i. Proleg. p. Lxxxrri.
* Kennicott, Dissertatio Generalis, pp. 85. S7 y 88, 89. 98. 104.
III. Sect. L] Of the Old Testament. 89
of any Masoretic notes, nor is any space left before the larger sections;
though sometimes, as in other very antient manuscripts, a few points are
inserted between the words. M. De Rossi assigns this manuscript to the
eighth century.
2. A manuscript of the Pentateuch (No. 503.), in quarto, and on vellum,
containing from Gen. xii. 44. to Deut. xv. 12. It is composed of leaves
of various ages, the most antient of which are of the ninth or tenth cen-
tury. The character is semi-rabbinical, rude, and confessedly very antient.
Points occur, in some of the more antient leaves, in the writing of the ori-
ginal copyist, but sometimes they are wanting. There are no traces of
the Masora or of the Masoretic notes, and sometimes no space at all before
the larger sections. It frequently agrees with the Samaritan text and
antient versions.
3. A manuscript of the Pentateuch (No. 10,), with the Targum and
Megilloth, It is written in the German character, on vellum, and in
quarto, towards the end of the eleventh or in the beginning of the twelfth
century. The Masora is absent. The character, which is defaced by
time, is rudely formed, and the initial letters are larger than the rest.
Coeval with this manuscript is,
4. A manuscript of the book of Job, in quarto, also on vellum, and in
the German character. It is one of the most valuable manuscripts of that
book. The pages are divided into two columns, the lines being of un-
equal length.
5- A manuscript of the Hagiographa (No. 379.), the size, character, and
date of which correspond with the preceding. It begins with PsaKxlix.15*
and ends with Neh. xl. 4. The Masora and Ken are absent ; and the
poetical books are divided into hemistichs.
6. A manuscript of the Pentateuch (No. 611.)> fl vellum, in octavo,
and written in the German character, approaching somewhat to the
Spanish, towards the close of the eleventh, or in the commencement of
the twelfth century. The ink is frequently faded by age ,* there are no
traces of the Masora; the Keri are very rarely to be seen, and the initial
letters are larger than the others. There are frequent omissions in the
text, which are supplied in the margin. 1
Dr. Kennicott states that almost all the Hebrew manuscripts of
the Old Testament, at present known to be extant, were written
between the years ]000 and 1457, whence he infers that all the ma-
nuscripts written before the years 700 or 800 were destroyed by some
decree of the Jewish senate, on account of their many differences
from the copies then declared genuine. This circumstance is also
alleged by Bishop Walton, as the reason why we have so few exem-
plars of the age of 600 years, and why even the copies of 700 or 800
years are very rare.
IX, jft was long a desideratum with biblical scholars to obtain the
Hebrew Scriptures from the Jews who are settled in India and other
parts of the East. It was reasonably supposed, that, as these Jews
had been for so many ages separated from their brethren in the west,
their manuscripts might contain a text derived from the autographs
of the sacred writers, by a channel independent of that through which
the text of our printed Bibles has been transmitted to us. Dr. Kenni-
cott was very anxious to obtain a copy, or at least a collation of a ma-
1 De liossi, Vai% kcct, torn, i, Proleg, pp, OETJT, cxu. xcrui. cm. cnir*
90 On the Hebrew Manuscripts [Part I. Ch.
nuscript from India or China, for his edition of the Hebrew Bible, in
the expectation that it would exhibit important variations from the
Masoretic editions; but he was unsuccessful in his endeavours to
procure it 1 9 and the honour of first bringing an Indian manuscript of
the Hebrew Scriptures into Europe was reserved for the late Rev.
Dr. Buchanan.
Among the biblical manuscripts brought from India by this learned
and pious divine, and which are now deposited in the public library
at Cambridge, there is a roll of the Pentateuch, which he procured
from the black Jews in Malabar 2 , who (there is strong reason to be-
lieve) are a part of the remains of the first dispersion of that nation by
Nebuchadnezzar. The date of this manuscript cannot now be ascer-
tained ; but its text is supposed to be derived from those copies which
their ancestors brought with them into India. Those Jews, on being
interrogated, could give no precise account of it : some replied, that
it came originally from Senna in Arabia; others of them said, it was
brought from Cashmir. The Cabul Jews, who travel annually into
the interior of China, remarked, that in some synagogues the Law is
still found written on a roll of leather ; not on vellum, but on a soft
flexible leather, made of goat-skins, and dyed red. It is evident that
the Jews, in the time of Moses, had the art of preparing and dyeing
skins ; for rams' skins dyed red, made a part of the covering for the
tabernacle (Exod. xxvi. 14.); and it is not improbable, that the very
autograph of the Law, written by the hand of Moses, was written on
skins so prepared. The antient rules prescribed to the Jewish scribes
direct, that the Law be so written, provided it be done on the skins
of clean animals, such as sheep, goat, or calf-skins : therefore this MS.,
and many others in the hands of the Jews, agree in the same as an
antient practice. The Cabul Jews, above noticed, show that copies
of the Law, written on leather skins, are to be found among their
people in India and China ; and hence we have no doubt, that such
are copies of very antient MSS. 3 The Cambridge Roll, or Indian
1 According to the information collected from various sources, by Professor Bauer, it
does not appear that the manuscripts of the Chinese Jews are of any remote antiquity, or
are calculated to afford any assistance to biblical critics. Although Jews have resided in
China for many centuries, yet they have no antient manuscripts, those now in use being
subsequent to the fifteenth century. Critica Sacra, pp. 405 407, See an account of
the Hebraeo- Chinese manuscripts in Koegler's Notitia S, S. Bibliorum Judseorum in
Imperio Sinensi. Edit. 2. 8vo. Halae ad Salam, 1805. Brotier, in his edition of
Tacitus, (vol. iii. pp. 567. et $eq. } has given the best account that is extant of the Jews in
China, a colony of whom settled in that country in the first century of the Christian sera.
The reader will find an abridgment of it in Dr. Tovvuley's Illustrations of Biblical
Literature, voL i. pp. 83 89. *
2 See an account of these Jews in Dr. Buchanan's " Christian Researches," pp. 224.
et seg. 4th edit.
3 Dr. Kennicott quotes from Wolfius, that a certain Jew, named Moses Pereyra,
affirmed, he had found MS. copies of the Hebrew text in Malabar; for that the Jews,
having escaped from Titus, betook themselves through Persia to the Malabar coast, and
arrived there safe in number about eighty persons. Whence Wolfius concludes, that
great fidelity is to be attached to the Malabar MSS. The Buchanan MS. may fairly be
denominated a Malabar copy, as having been brought from those parts. Refert Moses
-Pereyra, se invenisse Manuscripta Exemplaria (Hebraei Textus) Malabarica. Tradit
Judseos, a Tito fugientes, per Persiam se ad oras Malabaricas contulisse, ibique cum
octogiiata animis salvos advenisse. Unde constat, MStis Malabaricis multum iidei tri-
buendum esse," Wolf. 4. 97, See Dr. Kennicott's Dissertation the Second, p. 532.
Oxford, 1759*
Ill Sect. I.] ^ Of the Old Testament. 91
copy of the Pentateuch, which may also be denominated Malabaric 9
is written on a roll of goat-skins dyed red 9 and was discovered by
Dr. Buchanan in the record-chest of a synagogue of the black Jews,
in the interior of Malayala, in the year 1 806. It measures forty-eight
feet in length, and in breadth about twenty-two inches, or a Jewish
cubit. The book of Leviticus and the greater part of the book of
Deuteronomy are wanting. It appears, from calculation, that the
original length of the roll was not less than ninety English feet. In
its present condition it consists of thirty-seven skins ; contains one
hundred and seventeen columns of writing perfectly clear and legible;
and exhibits (as the subjoined fac-simile of Deut. iv. 1, 2. will show)
a noble specimen of the manner and form of the most antient Hebrew
manuscripts among the Jews.
The columns are a palm of four inches in breadth, and contain from
forty to fifty lines each, which are written without vowel points, and
in all other respects according to the rules prescribed to the Jewish
scribes or copyists. As some of the skins appear more decayed than
others, and the text is evidently not all written by the same hand,
Mr. Yeates (from whose Collation of this MS. the present account is
abridged, and to whom the author is indebted for the preceding fac-
simile,) is of opinion, that the roll itself comprises the fragments of
at least three different rolls, of one common material, viz. dyed goat-
skin, and exhibits three different specimens of writing. The old skins
have been strengthened by patches of parchment on the back; and
in one place four words have been renewed by the same supply. The
text is written in the square character, and without the vowel points
and accents ; and the margin of the columns is every where plain,
and free from writing of any sort. He has diligently examined and
collated this manuscript with the printed text of Vander Hooghf s
edition of the Hebrew Bible ; and the result of his investigation is,
that the amount of variations in the whole does not exceed,/or/j/, and
that none of them are found to differ from the common reading as to
the sense and interpretation of the text, but are merely additions or
omissions of a jod or vau letter, expressing such words to befall or
deficient, according to the known usage of the Hebrew tongue. But
even this small number of readings was considerably reduced, when
compared with the text of Athias's edition, printed at Amsterdam in
92 Hebrew MSS. of the Old Testament. [Part I. Cb;
1661 ; so that the integrity of the Hebrew text is Confirmed by this
valuable manuscript so far as it goes, and its testimony is unques-
tionably important. Four readings are peculiar to this copy, which
are not to be found in Dr. Kennicott's edition of the Hebrew Bible ;
and many minute Masoretical distinctions, chiefly relative to the
formation of the letters in certain words, show that the Masora of the
Eastern Jews has its peculiarities not common with that of the 1 Western
Jews : whence it is certainly determined that the present roll is not
a copy from any exemplar of the Jews in Europe ; for no other syna-
o-oo-ue rolls known in Europe are observed to have the same charac-
teristics, at least as far as appears from any description of Hebrew
manuscripts that is extant. }
With respect to the several sorts of skins and hand-writing, the
answer of some Indian Jews, when interrogated concerning this MS.,
is worthy of remark. By one account, it was brought from Senna
in Arabia ; and by another account, it came from Cashmir ; which
two accounts are cleared up on an examination of the MS., since,
part of it being composed of brown skins, and the writing very simi-
lar to that seen in rolls of Arabian and African extraction, there is
a possibility that such part is the fragment of an Arabian or African
MS., as those Jews relate : and the other account, viz.- that it was
brought from Cashmir, may also be equally true; since that part
consisting of red skins so well corresponds with their own description
of copies found in the synagogues of the Eastern Jews. The con-
sideration of this point attaches still greater consequences to the roll
itself, which, as it is found to consist of fragments of copies purely
Oriental, and seemingly unconnected with the Western Jewish
copies, we may now conclude the same to be ample specimens of
copies in those parts of the world. It is true, indeed, that a great
part of the text is wanting, and the whole book of Leviticus ; yet,
notwithstanding the large deficencies of the MS., it ought to be a
satisfaction to know, that herein are ample specimens of at least
three antient copies of the Pentateuch, whose testimony is found to
unite in the integrity and pure conservation of the Sacred Text, ac-
knowledged by Christians and Jews in these parts of the world." 2
The following testimony of Bishop Marsh to the value of the
Codex Malabaricus is too valuable to be omitted : "A manuscript
Roll of the Hebrew Pentateuch, apparently of some antiquity, and
found among the Black Jews in the interior of India, must be re-
garded at least as a literary curiosity, deserving the attention of the
learned in general. And as this manuscript appears, on comparison,
to have no important deviation from our common printed Hebrew-
text, it is of still greater value to a theologian, as it affords an addi-
tional argument for the integrity of the Pentateuch. The Hebrew
manuscripts of the Pentateuch, preserved in the West of Europe,
though equally derived, with the Hebrew manuscripts preserved in
India, from the autograph of Moses, must have descended from it
through very different channels ; and therefore the close agreement
of the former with the latter is a proof, that they have preserved the
i See Mr. Yeates's Collation of an Indian Copy of the Pentateuch, pp. 2,3. 6, 7*
* Ibid, p, 8.
III. Sect. II.] Manuscripts of the Samaritan Pentateuch. 93
original text in great purity, since the circumstances, under which
the MS. was found, forbid the explanation of that agreement on the
principle of any immediate connexion. It is true that, as this manu-
script (or rather the three fragments of which this manuscript is
composed) was probably written much later than the time when the
Masoretic text was established by the learned Jews of Tiberias, it
may have been wholly derived from that Masoretic text : and in this
case it would afford only an argument,, that the Masoretic text had
preserved its integrity, and would not affect the question, whether
the Masoretic text itself were an accurate representative of the
Mosaic autograph. But, on the other hand, as the very peculiar
circumstances, under which the manuscript was found, render it at
least possible, that the influence of the Masora, which was extended
to the African and European Hebrew manuscripts by the settlement
of the most distinguished Oriental Jews in Africa and Spain, never
reached the mountainous district in the South of India ; as it is pos-
sible, that the text of the manuscript in question was derived from
manuscripts anterior to the establishment of the Masora, manuscripts
even which might have regulated the learned Jews of Tiberias in
the formation of their own text, the manuscript appears for these
reasons to merit particular attention/' l Such being the value of
this precious manuscript, Mr. Yeates has conferred a great service
on the biblical student by publishing his collation, of which future
editors of the Hebrew Bible will doubtless avail themselves.
In the seventh and following volumes of the Classical Journal
there is a catalogue of the biblical, biblico- oriental, and classical
manuscripts at present existing in the various public libraries in
Great Britain*
SECTION II.
ON THE MANUSCRIPTS OF THE SAMARITAN PENTATEUCH.
I. Origin of the Samaritans* II. Account of the Samaritan Pentateuch.
Manuscripts of it. III. Variations of the Samaritan Pentateuch
from the Hebrew* IV. Versions of the Samaritan Pentateuch.
I. ORIGIN OF THE SAMARITANS.
The Samaritans being generally considered as a Jewish sect, the
specification of their tenets properly belongs to the third volume of
this work. At present, it will be sufficient to remark that they were
descended from an intermixture of the ten tribes with the Gentile
nations. This origin rendered them odious to the Jews, who refused'
to acknowledge them as Jewish citizens, or to permit them to assist
in rebuilding the Temple, after their return from the Babylonish
captivity. In consequence of this rejection, as well as of other causes
of dissension, the Samaritans erected a temple on Mount Gerizim,
and instituted sacrifices according to the prescriptions of the Mosaic
law. Hence arose that inveterate schism and enmity between the
two nations, so frequently mentioned or alluded to in the New Tes-
tament. The Samaritans (who still exist but are greatly reduced in
i See Yeates's Collation Of an Indian Copy of the Pentateuch, &c. pp. 40, 41.
9$ Manuscripts of the Samaritan Pentateuch. [Part I. Ch.
numbers) reject all the sacred books of the Jews except the PENTA-
TEUCH, or five books of Moses. Of this they preserve copies in the
antient Hebrew characters : which as there has been no friendly
intercourse between them and the Jews since the Babylonish capti-
vity, there can be no doubt were the same that were in use befoi'e
that event, though subject to such variations as will always be occa-
sioned by frequent transcribing. And so inconsiderable are the vari-
ations from our present copies (which were those of the Jews), that
by this means we have a proof that those important books have been
preserved uncorrupted for the space of nearly three thousand years,
so as to leave no room to doubt that they are the same which were
actually written by Moses.
II. ACCOUNT of the Samaritan Pentateuch.
Although the Samaritan Pentateuch was known to and cited by
Eusebius, Cyril of Alexandria, Procopius of Gaza, Diodorus of
Tarsus, Jerome, Syncellus, and other antient fathers, yet it after-
wards fell into oblivion for upwards of a thousand years, so that its
very existence began to be questioned. Joseph Scaliger was the first
who excited the attention of learned men to this valuable relic of an-
tiquity ; and M, Peiresc procured a copy from Egypt, which, together
with the ship that brought it, was unfortunately captured by pirates.
More successful was the venerable Archbishop Usher, who procured
six copies from the East; and from another copy, purchased by
Pietro della Valle for M, de Sancy, (then ambassador from France
to Constantinople, and afterwards Archbishop of St. Maloes,) Father
Morinus printed the Samaritan Pentateuch, for the first time, in the
Paris Polyglott. This was afterwards reprinted in the London Po-
lyglott by Bishop Walton, who corrected it from three manuscripts
which had formerly belonged to Archbishop Usher. A neat edition
of this Pentateuch, in Hebrew characters, was edited by Dr. Blayney,
Jn octavo, Oxford, 1790.
Seventeen manuscripts of the Samaritan Pentateuch are known to
be extant, of which Dr. Kennicott has given a minute description.
Six of these manuscripts are in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, and
one in the Cotton Library in the British Museum: concerning a few of
the most valuable of these, the following particulars may not be unac-
ceptable. They are numbered according to Dr. Kennicott's notation.
1. Cod. 127- is preserved in the British Museum. (Bibl. Cotton.
Claudius* B. 8.) It is one of the six MSS. procured by Archbishop
Usher, by whom it was presented to Sir Robert Cotton. This
very valuable manuscript is complete, and was transcribed entirely
by one hand, on two hundred and fifty-four pages of vellum. It is
in an excellent state of preservation, a leaf of fine paper having
been carefully placed between every two leaves of the vellum. This
MS. was written. A. D. 1 362.
2. Cod. 62. is preserved in the Bodleian Library at Oxford ; and
was also purchased by Archbishop -Usher, from whose heirs the
curators of that library bought it, with many other MSS. This
manuscript is in large quarto, and contains an Arabic version in
Samaritan letters, placed in a column parallel to the Samaritan text.
Unhappily there are many cWfn^iu it. Dr Kennicott attributes a
III. Sect, II.] Manuscripts of the Samaritan Pentateuch. . 95
high value to this manuscript, which was written about the middle
of the thirteenth century.
Cod. 197. is a most valuable manuscript in the Ambrosian Li-
brary at Milan, which was collated for Dr. Kennicott by Dr. Branca,
who is of opinion that it is certainly not later than the tenth century.
It is imperfect in many places ; and is very beautifully written on ex**
tremely thin vellum, in red characters.
Cod. 363. (No. 1. of the MSS. in the Library of the Oratory at
Paris,) is the celebrated manuscript bought by Pietro della Valle of
the Samaritans, in 1616, and printed by Morinus in 1631-33. It
is written throughout by one hand ; and, though no date is assigned
to it, Dr. Kennicott thinks it was written towards the close of the
eleventh century. It was collated for Dr. Kennicott by Dr. Bruns,
in some select passages. l
III. VARIATIONS of the Samaritan "Pentateuch from the Hebrew.
The celebrated critic, Le Clerc 3 , has instituted a minute compa-
rison of the Samaritan Pentateuch with the Hebrew text ; and has,
with much accuracy and labour, collected those passages in which
he is of opinion that the former is more or less correct than the
latter. For instance
1. The Samaritan text appears to be more correct than^the Hebretv, in
Gen. ii. 4. vii. 2. xix. 19. xx. 2. xxiii. 16. xxiv. 14. xlix. 10, 11. 1.26,
Exod.i. 2. iv.2.
2. It is expressed more conformably to analogy, in Gen. xxxi.39- xxxv.
26. xxxvii. 17- xli, 34% 43. xlvii. 3. Deut. xxxii. 5.
3. It has glosses and additions in Gen. xxix. 15- xxx. 36. xli. 16. Exod.
vii. 18. viii. 23. ix. 5. xxi.20- xxii.5. xxiii. 10. xxxii. 9. Lev. i. 10. xvii,
4. Deut.v. 21.
4. It appears to have been altered by a critical hand, in Gen. ii. 2, iv. 10.
ix.5. x. 19. xi.21. xviii.3. xix. 12. xx. 16- xxiv. 38. 55. xxxv.7. xxxvi.
6. xli. 50. Exod.i. 5. xiii. 6. xv. 5. Num.xxii. 32.
5. It is more full than the Hebrew text, in Gen.v. 8. xi. 31. xix. 9.
xxvii. 34. xxxix. 4. xliiu25. Exod. xii. 40. xl. 17- Num. iv. 14. Deut.
xx. 16-
6. It is defective in Gen. xx. 16. and xxv. 14.
It agrees tvith the Septuaginl version in Gen. iv. 8. xix. 12. xx. 16.
xxiii. 2. xxiv. 55. 62. xxvi. 18. xxix. 27. xxxv.29. xxxix. 8. xli. 16. 43.
xliii. 26. xlix. 26. Exod. viii. 3. and in many other passages. Though,
7. // sometimes varies from the Septuagint, as in Gen.i. 7. v. 29. viii.
3.7. xlix. 22. Num. xxii. 4.
The differences between the Samaritan and Hebrew Pentateuchs
may be accounted for, by the usual sources of various readings, viz.
the negligence of copyists, introduction of glosses from the margin
into the text, the confounding of similar letters, the transposition of
letters, the addition of explanatory words, &c. The Samaritan
Pentateuch, however, is of great use and authority in establishing
correct readings: in many instances it agrees remarkably with the
Greek Septuagint, and it contains numerous and excellent various
lections, which are in every respect preferable to the received Ma-
i Kennicott, Diss. II. pp. 538540., and Diss. Gen. pp. 81. 76. 88. 98.
a Comment, in Pentateuch, Index, ii. SeQ also some additional observations on the
differences between the Samaritan and Hebrew Pentateuchs, iu Dr. Kennicott's Remarks
on Select Passages in the Old Testament, pp. 43 47.
96 Versions of the Samaritan Pentateuch. [Part I. Ch.
soretic readings, and are further confirmed by the agreement of
other antient versions.
The most material variations between the Samaritan Pentateuch
and the Hebrew, which affect the authority of the former, occur,
first, in the prolongation of the patriarchal generations ; and,
secondly, in the alteration of Ebal into Gerizim (Deut. xxvii.), in
order to support their separation from the Jews. The chronology
of the Samaritan Pentateuch has been satisfactorily vindicated by
the Rev. Dr. Hales, whose arguments, however, will not admit of
abridgment 1 ; and with regard to the charge of altering the Pen-
tateuch, it has been shown by Dr. Kennicott, from a consideration
of the character of the Samaritans, their known reverence for the
law, our Lord's silence on the subject in his memorable conversation
with the woman of Samaria, and from various other topics ; that
what almost all biblical critics have hitherto considered as a wilful
corruption by the Samaritans, is in all probability the true reading,
and that the corruption is to be charged on the Jews themselves.
In judging therefore of the genuineness of a reading, we are not to
declare absolutely for one of these Pentateuchs against the other,
but to prefer the true readings in both. cc One antient copy," Dr.
Kennicott remarks, with equal truth and justice, "has been received
from the Jews, and we are truly thankful for it : another antient
copy is offered by the Samaritans; let us thankfully accept that
likewise. Both have been often transcribed; both therefore may
contain errors. They differ in many instances, therefore the errors
must be many. Let the two parties be heard without prejudice ;
let their evidences be weighed with impartiality; and let the genuine
words of Moses be ascertained by their joint assistance. Let the
variations of all the manuscripts on each side be carefully collected ;
and then critically examined by the context and the antient versions.
If the Samaritan copy should be found in some places to correct the
Hebrew, yet will the Hebrew copy in other places correct the Sa-
maritan. Each copy therefore is invaluable; each copy therefore
demands our pious veneration, and attentive study. The Penta-
teuch will never be understood perfectly, till we admit the authority
Of BOTH. 2
IV. VERSIONS of the -Samaritan Pentateuch.
Of the Samaritan Pentateuch two versions are extant ; one in the
proper Samaritan dialect, which is usually termed the Samaritan
version, and another in Arabic.
1. The Samaritan version was made in Samaritan characters, from
the Hebrseo -Samaritan text into the Samaritan dialect, which is
intermediate between the Hebrew and the Aramsean languages.
This version is of great antiquity, having been made at least before
the time of Origen, and not improbably before the commencement
of the Christian aera. The author of the Samaritan version is un-
known, but he has in general adhered very closely and faithfully to
the original text; so that this version as almost exactly the counter-
part of the original Hebrew-Samaritan codex with all its various
1 Analysis of Chronology, vol. I. pp. 80, et sea.
* Kennicott, Diss, ii. pp. 20165.
III. Sect. III.] On Gn^eelt Manuscripts. 97
readings. This shows, in a degree, really surprising, how very
carefully and accurately the Hebrew Pentateuch has been copied
and preserved by the Samaritans, from the antient times in which
their version was made. *
2. The Arabic version of the Samaritan Pentateuch is also extant
in Samaritan characters, and was executed by Aba Said, A.D, 1070,
in order to supplant the Arabic translation of the Jewish Rabbi,
Saadia Gaon, which had till that time been in use among the Sama-
ritans. Abu Said has very closely followed the Samaritan Pen-
tateuch, whose readings he expresses, even where the latter differs
from the Hebrew text : in some instances, however, both Bishop
Walton and Bauer have remarked, that he has borrowed from the
Arabic version of Saadia. On account of the paucity of manuscripts
of the original Samaritan Pentateuch, Bauer thinks this version will
be found of great use in correcting its text. Some specimens of it
have been published by Dr. Durell in the " Hebrew Text of the
Parallel Prophecies of Jacob relating to the Twelve Tribes," &c. (Ox-
ford, 1763, 4to.) and before him by Castell in the fourth volume of
the London Polyglott; also by Hwiid, at Rome, in 1780, in 8vo.,
and by Paulus, at Jena, in 1739, in 8vo. 2
SECTION III.
ON THE MANUSCRIPTS OF THE GREEK SCRIPTURES.
1. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON GREEK MANUSCRIPTS.
I. On luhat Materials tvritten. II. Form of Letters.^- III. Abbreviations.
IV. Codices Palimpsesti or Rescript L V. Account of the different
Families, Recensions, or Editions of Manuscripts of the New Testa-
inent. 1. The System of Dr. Griesbach and Michaelis 2. Of M.
Matthaii. S. Of Mr*. Nolan. . Of Prof. Hug. 5. Of Prof.
Scholz. VI. On the Fcedus cum Grcecis, or Coincidence between many
Greek Manuscripts and the Vulgate Latin Version.
I. I HE Greek manuscripts, which have descended to our time, are
written either on vellum or on paper; and their external form and
condition vary, like the manuscripts of other antient authors. The
vellum is either purple-coloured or of its natural hue, and is either
thick or thin. Manuscripts on very thin vellum were always held
in the highest esteem. The paper also is either made of cotton, or
the common sort manufactured from linen, and is either glazed, or
laid (as it is technically termed), that is, of the ordinary roughness.
Not more than six manuscript fragments on purple vellum are known
to be extant ; they are described in the following sections of this
chapter. The Codex Claromontamis, of which a brief notice is also
given in a subsequent page, is written on very thin vellum. All
1 North American Review, New Series, vol. xxii* p. 313.
Bp. Walton, Proleg. c. xi. J0*-21. pp. 527553, Carpzov. Critica Sacra,
pp. 585 6^0. Lcubdcn, 1'hilologus Hebranis, pp. 59 67. Bauer, Critica Sacra,
pp. 325335, Muntinghc, Expositio Critices Veteris Fcederis, pp. 148, 149.
VOL, II. H
98 General Observations [Part I. Ch, III.
manuscripts on paper are of a much later date ; those on cotton paper
being posterior to the ninth century, and those on linen subsequent
to the twelfth century ; and if the paper be of a very ordinary qua-
lity, Wetstein pronounces them to have been written in Italy, in the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
II. The letters are either capital (which in the time of Jerome
were called uncial, i. e, initial) or cursive, i. e. small ; the capital let-
ters, again, are of two kinds, either unadorned and simple, and made
with straight thin strokes, or thicker, uneven, and angular. Some
of them are supported on a sort of base, while others are decorated,
or rather burthened with various tops. As letters of the first kind
are generally seen on antient Greek monuments, while those of the
last resemble the paintings of semi-barbarous times, manuscripts
written with the former are generally supposed to be as old as the
fifth century, and those written with the latter are supposed to be
posterior to the ninth century. Greek manuscripts were usually
written in capital letters till the seventh century, and mostly without
any divisions of words ; and capitals were in general use until the
eighth .century, and some even so late as the ninth ; but there is a
strikingtdifference in the forms of the letters after the seventh century.
Great Alterations took place in the eighth, ninth, and tenth centuries:
the Greek letters in the manuscripts copied by the Latins in the ninth
century, are by no means regular ; the , e, and y, being inflected
like the , <?, and y, of the Latin alphabet. Towards the close of
the tenth century, small or cursive letters were generally adopted ;
and Greek manuscripts written in and since the eleventh century are
in small letters, and greatly resemble each other, though some few
exceptions occur to the contrary. Flourished letters rarely occur in
Greek manuscripts of the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth cen-
turies. 1 The fac-similes of the Alexandrian and other manuscripts,
given in the subsequent pages of this work, will furnish the reader
with a tolerably correct idea of the various styles of Greek writing
which obtained at different periods between the sixth and the four-
teenth centuries.
The most antient manuscripts are written without accents, spirits,
9r any separation of the words ; nor was it until after the ninth
century that the copyists began to leave spaces between the words.
Michaelis, after Wetstein, ascribes the insertion of accents to Eutlm-
lius, bishop of Sulca in Egypt, A.D. 4-58. 2
III. Nearly the same mode of spelling obtains in antient manu-
scripts which prevails in Greek printed books; but, ever) in the
earliest manuscripts, we meet with some words that are abbreviated
by putting the first and last letters, and sometimes also the middle
letter^ fbrjuijen tire word, and drawing a line over the top : thus
0C ? KC, 1C, XC, TS, 2HP, 1~HA, or I2HA, riSX] ITHP, MHP, OTNQ2,
i Wetatein's Prolegomena to his edition of the Greek Testament, vol. i. pp. 1-3
Astle on the Origin of Writing, pp. GO 76. 9d edit. Wetstein lias given an alphabet from
various Greek manuscripts, and Astle has illustrated his observations with several very fine
^engravings. J
* Wetstein, Prolog, p. 73, Michaelis, vol. ii. pp. 519-524.
Sect. III. L] On Greek Manuscripts. 99
ANO2, IAHM, AAA, respectively denote @so$ God, Kvpio$ Lord,
Jesus, Xpiro? Christ, TJOJ a son, 2cor>jp Saviour, IcrparjA Israel,
spirit^ riaTTjf) father, Myj-njp mother, Oupxvo$ heaven, AvS^war
lepoycraAijjU. Jerusalem, AamS David. l At the beginning of a new
book, which always commences at the top of a page, the first three,
four, or five lines are frequently written in vermilion ; and, with the
exception of the Alexandrian and Vatican manuscripts, all the mo$t
antient codices now extant have the Eusebian xe$aXai& and -nrAo*,
of which we have given an account in a subsequent chapter. 2
Vey few manuscripts contain the whole either of the Old or of
the New Testament. By far the greater part have only the four
Gospels, because they were most frequently read in the churches;
others comprise only the Acts of the Apostles and the Catholic
Epistles; others, again, have the Acts, and St. Paul's Epistles; and
a very few contain the Apocalypse. Almost all of them, especially
the more antient manuscripts, are imperfect, either from the injuries
of time, or from neglect. 3
All manuscripts, the most antient not excepted, have erasures and
corrections ; which, however, were not always effected so dexter-
ously, but that the original writing may sometimes be seen. Where
these alterations have been made by the copyist of the manuscript,
(a primd maim, as it is termed,) they are preferable to those made
by later hands, or a secunda manu. These erasures were sometimes
made by drawing a line through the word, or, what is tenfold worse>.
by the penknife. But, besides these modes of obliteration, the copyist
frequently blotted out the old writing with a sponge, and wrote other
words in lieu of it : nor was this practice confined to a single letter
or word, as may be seen in the Codex Bezae.* Authentic instances
are on record, in which whole books have been thus obliterated, and
other writing has been substituted in the place of the manuscript so
blotted out : but where the writing has already faded through age,
they preserved their transcriptions without further erasure.
IV. These manuscripts are termed Codices Palimpsest i or Re script i.
Before the invention of paper, the great scarcity of parchment in
different places induced many persons to obliterate the works of
antient writers, in order to transcribe their own, or those of some
other favourite author in their place : hence, doubtless, the works of
many eminent writers have perished, and particularly those of the
greatest antiquity ;. for such, as were comparatively recent, were
transcribed, to satisfy the immediate demand ; while lhose 9 which
1 Concerning Greek Abbreviations, sec Montfuucou's Paloeographia Graca, pp. 34&
370. Mr. Astle lias also given a specimen of Greek abbreviations from two Psalters*
Ou Writing, p. 7C. plate vi,
a See Chap. IV. Sect. II pp. 16*9, 170. infra,
3 The Codex Cottonianus, for instance, when perfect, contained only the Boole of
Genesis j the Codex Ctesaraus contains only part of the same book, together with a frag-
ment of* the Gospel of St. Luke ; the Alexandrian manuscript wants the fiist twenty-four
chapters of St. Matthew's Gospel; and the Codex Bczaj contains only the four Gospels
and the Acts of the Apostles*
* Wetstt'in's Prolegomena, pp. 38. Gricsbacb has discovered the hands of fiVB
different correctors in the Codex Claromontanus. See his Symbolae Criticae, tow. ii.
pp. 3252.
H 2
100 General Observations [Part I. Ch. III.
were already dim with age, were erased. 1 . It was for a long time
thought, that this destructive practice was confined to the eleventh,
twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries, and that it chiefly pre-
vailed among the Greeks : it must, in fact, be considered as the con-
sequence of the barbarism which overspread those dark ages of ignor-
ance; but this destructive operation was likewise practised by the La-
tins, and is also of a more remote date than has usually been supposed.
In general, a Codex Rescriptus is easily known, as it rarely Imp-
pens that the former writing is so completely erased, as not to exhibit
some traces: in a few instances, both writings are legible. Many
such manuscripts are preserved in the library of the British Museum.
Montfaucon found a manuscript in the Colbert library, which had
been written about the eighth century, and originally contained the
works of St. Dionysius : new matter had been written over it, three
or four centuries afterwards, and both continued legible. 1 - 1 Mimitori
saw in the Ambrosian library a manuscript comprising the works of
the venerable Bede, the writing of which was from eight to nine
hundred years old, and which had been substituted for another up-
wards of a thousand years old. Notwithstanding the efforts which
had been made to erase the latter, some phrases could be deciphered,
which indicated it to be an antient pontifical. 3 The indefatigable
researches of signer Angelo Mai (principal keeper of the Vatican
Library at Rome) have discovered several valuable remains of bibli-
cal and classical literature in the Ambrosian Library at Milan' 1 ; and
a short account of some of the principal Codices Rescript! of the
New Testament, or of parts thereof, will be found ia the sequel of
this section.
V. The total number of manuscripts of the New Testament (whe-
ther they have been transmitted to us entire or in fragments), which
are known to have been wholly or partially collated, amounts nearly
to five hundred ; but this number forms only a small part of the
manuscripts found in public and private libraries. The result of
these collations has shown that certain manuscripts have an ivflinity
to each other, and that their text is distinguished from that of others
by characteristic marks; and eminent critics, (particularly Griosbach,
who devoted the whole of his life to sacred criticism,) alter diligently
comparing the quotations from the New Testament in the writings
of Clement of Alexandria and of Origen with those made by Turin l-
lian and Cyprian, have ascertained that, so early as the third century,
there were in existence two families^ recensions, or editions 5 of nui-
1 Peignot, Essai sur 1'Histoiro de Parchemin, pp. 83. et sctj.
a Palaiogr. Graec. pp. 231. 233. The greater part of the manuscripts on purchmout
which Montfaucon had seen, he affirms, were written on parchment, from which some
former treatise had been erased, except in those of a very antient dale. Mum. de TAcad,
de Inscript. torn. ix. p. 325.
3 Muratori. Antiq. Ital. torn. iii. diss. 43. col. 833, 834.
4 ^ See a brief notice of Signor Mai's discovery of a Codex Rescriptus of Saint Paul's
Epistles, in pp. 140, 141. infra, of the present volume.
5 Bengel expressed this relationship or affinity between manuscripts by the term family.
(Introd. adCrisin N, T. 2730.) Semler( Apparatus ad LiberaU-m Novi Tesfiununli
Interpretationera, p. 45.) and Griesbach (Symbol* Criu'caj, torn. i. p. cxviiu) use the
term recensio, recension^ that is edition, which last term is adopted by Michaelis, voh ii,
p 1 73.
Sect, III. 1.] On Greek Manuscripts. 101
nuscripts, or, in other words, two entirely different texts of the New
Testament. l Michaelis has observed that, as different countries had
different versions according to their respective languages, their ma-
nuscripts naturally resembled their respective versions, as these ver-
sions, generally speaking, were made from such manuscripts as were
in common use. Five different systems of recensions or editions
have been proposed, viz. by Griesbach and Michaelis, by Matthaei,
by Mr. Nolan, by Professor Hug, and by Professor Scholz.
1. The basis of Dr, GRTESBACH'S system is, the division of the
Greek manuscripts of the New Testament into three classes, each of
which is considered as an independent witness for the various read-
ings which it contains. The value of a reading, so far as manuscript
authority is regarded, is decided by Griesbach, not according to the
individual manuscript in which it is found, but according to the num-
ber of classes by which it is supported. The classes, under which
he arranges all the Greek manuscripts are the following; viz. 1. The
Alexandrine ; 2. The Occidental or Western ; and 3. The Byzan-
tine or Oriental, to which Michaelis has added, 4. The Edessene.
To each of these are given the appellation of recension or edition, as
we commonly say of printed books.
(1.) The first class, or ALEXANDRINE RECENSION, which is also
called the EGYPTIAN Recension, comprises those manuscripts, which,
in remarkable and characteristic readings, agree with the quotations
of the early Alexandrine writers, particularly Origen and Clement
of Alexandria. After them, this recension was adopted by 'the
Egyptian Greeks.
To this class Griesbach refers the Codex Alexandrinus 3 , noted by the
letter A., but in the epistles of Saint Paul only ; and also B> the Vatican
manuscript. To this class also Dr. Scholz refers C. ? the Codex Ephremi ;
L. the Codex Regius 62., an imperfect manuscript of the four Gospels of
the* eighth century, collated by Wetstein and Griesbach ; P. the Guelpher-
bytanus A,, a Codex Kcscriptus of the sixth century, comprising frag-
ments of the four Gospels ; Q. the Guelpherbytanus B., also a Codex
llescriptus of the same date, and containing some fragments of Luke
and John ; T. the Codex Borgiae L, containing a Greek Sahidic version,
of John vi. 28 67- vii. 6. viii. 31., executed in the fourth century;
Gricsb. 22., the Codex Regius 72., a fragment of Matt. i. 1. ii. 2., writ-
ten in the eleventh century ; Gricsb. 33., the Codex Regius 14., a muti-
lated MS. of the Old and New Testament, of the eleventh century; Griesb.
102., the Codex Medicseus, which comprises from Matt. xxiv. to Mark
viii. 1,, and the Codex Regius 305., a MS. of the thirteenth century. 3
The Alexandrine Recension is followed by the Coptico-Memphilic, Cop-
tico-Basmuric, Coptieo-Sahidic, Ethiopia, Armenian, and the Syro-Phi-
loxouian versions ; and it is the text cited by the fathers, Eusebius,
i In the second volume of Gricbbach's Symbolac Critieze (pp. 229 620,) there is a
laborious collation of the* quotations from the New Testament, made by Origen and
Clement of Alexandria, with the Vulgate* or common Greek text.
a See an account of those and of the other MSS, mentioned in this Section in pp. 115
1*57. infra* The letters and figures, above used, are those employed by Griesbach, to
denote the several manuscript* collated or consulted by him for his edition of the New
Testament. They are explained in the Prolegomena to his first volume.
3 The manuscripts in the Royal Library at Paris are generally known by the appel-
lation of Codices Itcgli*
H 5
102 General Observations [Parti. Ch. III.
Anastasius, Ammonius, Didymus, Cyril of Alexandria, Marcus, Macarius,
Cosmas Indicopleustes, Nonnuss, Isidore of Pelusium, Theodore of Pelu-
sium, and frequently also by Chrysostom.
(2,) The OCCIDENTAL or WESTERN RECENSION is that which was
adopted by the Christians of Africa (especially by Tertullian and
Cyprian ) 5 Italy, Gaul, and the west of Europe generally.
According to Griesbach, it is followed in A. the Codex Alexandrinus,
in the Acts of the Apostles, and the Catholic Epistles; and according to
Dr. Scholz, in D. the Codex Bezae or Cantabrigiensis ; in the Codex
Regius 31 4-., a MS. of the eighth century, containing Luke ix. 36 47*
and x. 12 22.; Griesb. 1. (Basileensis) ; Griesb. 13. the Codex Regius
50*, a mutilated MS. of the twelfth century, collated for Birch's edition
of the four "Gospels ; Griesb. 28. the Codex Regius 379., a MS. of the
eleventh century; Griesb. 69. the Codex Leicestrensis, and 124., the Co-
dex Vindobonensis (Lambecii 31.); Griesb. 131. the Codex Vaticanus
360, a MS. of the eleventh century, collated by Birch ; Griesb, 157. the
Codex Vaticanus 2, a MS. of the twelfth century, also collated by Birch ;
the Codex Regius 177. containing the four Gospels, with very copious
scholia, written (Dr. Scholz thinks) in the eleventh century ; and in the
Codex Regius, 375. containing lessons from the New Testament, except-
ing the Revelation, and written early in the eleventh century : in the
Gospels, it very seldom differs from the Codex Bezse, but in the Acts of
the Apostles and in the Epistles, it chiefly agrees with the Alexandrine
recension. With these manuscripts sometimes harmonise the Sahidic
Version, made in the fourth century, the Syriac Version of Jerusalem,
and the readings in the margin of the Syro-Philoxenian Version ; as also
the Ante-Hieronymian or Old Latin Versions, which were in use before
the Vulgate Version.
The Western Edition was cited by the African fathers, Tertullian, Cy-
prian, Lactantius, Victorinus, Augustine, and by the unknown author of
the book against Fulgentius the Donatist, by the Italic fathers, Zeno of
Verona, Gaudentius of Brescia, Chromatius of Aquileia, Ambrose, the
author of certain pieces which are attributed to that writer, Rufinus, the
author of the Opus Imperfectum on St. Matthew, Gregory surnamed the
Great, and Lucifer Bishop of Cagliari ; and by the Gallic fathers, Irenzeus,
Hilary, Julius Firmicus Maternus, Phcebadius (a Spaniard) bishop of
Agen, Juvencus, and by the Mozarabic Ritual. With this edition also
coincides the Vulgate Latin version, which is followed by Isidore bishop
of Seville, Remigius, Bede, Rabanus Maurus, Haymo, Anselm, Pietro
Damiani, Bernard, and all subsequent writers in communion with the
Latin church for the last thousand years, as well as by the Lectionaries,
Breviaries, Antient Missals, Acts of the Martyrs, and other ecclesiastical
books of that church. 1
J3.) Towards the end of the fourth century, and during the fifth
sixth centuries, critics have observed a text differing from the
two first, and which they call the BVZANTINE or ORIENTAL RECEN-
SION or Edition, because it was in general use at Constantinople 3 after
that city became the capital and metropolitan see of the eastern empire.
With this edition are closely allied those of the neighbouring provinces,
whose inhabitants were subject to the spiritual jurisdiction of the patriarch
of Constantinople. 2 The readings of the Byzantine Recension are those
1 Scholz, Curse Criticae in Historiam Textus Evangeliorum, pp. 27 30.
s Michaelis remarks, that the greatest number of manuscripts written on Mount Athos
are evidently of the Byzantine edition; and he thinks it probable that almost all the
Moscow manuscripts, of which M* Matthaej has given extracts, belong to this edition. As
Sect. III. J 1*] On Greek Manuscripts. 103
which are most commonly found in the KOIJ/IJ EX&OCTK, or printed Vulgate
Greek Text, and are also most numerous in the existing manuscripts
which correspond to it. Griesbach reckons upwards of one hundred
manuscripts of this class, which minutely harmonise with each other. On
account of the many alterations, that were unavoidably made In the long
interval between the fourth and fifteenth centuries, Michaelis proposes to di-
vide the Byzantine edition into antient and modern ; bin he does not^spe-
cify any criteria by whieh we can determine the boundaries between these
two classes. The Byzantine text is found in the four Gospels of the Alex-
andrian manuscript ; it was the original of the Sclavonic or old Russian ver-
sion, and was cited by Chryso&tom and Theophylact bishop of Bulgaria.
As the Peschito, or Old Syriac Version of the New Testament
differs from the three preceding recensions, Michaelis after Gries-
bach has instituted another,, which he designates,
(4.) The EDESSENE EDITION, comprehending the special Asiatic
instruments, as they were termed by Griesbach, or those Manuscripts
from which that Version was made.
Of this edition no manuscripts are extant ; which circumstance Mi-
chaelis accounts for, by the early prejudice of the Syrian literati in favour
of whatever was Grecian, and also by the wars that devastated the East
for many ages subsequent to the fifth century. But by some accident
which is difficult to be explained, manuscripts are found in the west of
Europe, accompanied even with a Latin translation, such as the Codex
Bezae, which so eminently coincide with the Old Syriac Version, that
their affinity is indisputable.
Although the readings of the Western, Alexandrine, and Edessene
editions sometimes differ, yet they very frequently harmonise with each
other. This coincidence Michaelis ascribes to their high antiquity, as
the oldest manuscripts extant belong to one of these editions, and the
translations themselves are antient, A reading confirmed by three of
them is supposed to be of the very highest authority ; yet the true read-
ing may sometimes be found only in the fourth.
Most of the Manuscripts now extant exhibit one of the texts above
described; some are composed of two or three recensions. No in-
dividual manuscript preserves any recension in a pure state; but
manuscripts are said to be of the Alexandrian or Western Recension,
as the appropriate readings of each preponderate. The margins of
these manuscripts, as well as those of the Ethiopia, Armenian, Sahi-
dic, and Syro-Philoxenian versions, and the Syriac version of Jerusa-
lem, contain the Alexandrian variations for the Western readings, or
vice versa ; and some Byzantine manuscripts have the Alexandrian
or Western various lections in their margins. l
Each of these recensions has characteristics peculiar to itself. The
Occidental or Western preserves harsh readings, Hebraisms, and
solecisms, which the Alexandrine has exchanged for readings more
the valuable manuscripts collected by the late learned Professor Carlyle were obtained in,
Syria, Constantinople, and the ishiuds of the Levant, it is probable, whenever they shall be
collated, that they will be found to coincide with the Byaantine Recension. These manu-
scripts are preserved in the Archiopiscopal Library at Lambeth, and are described in/ra,
pp. 150,151.
1 Michaelis, vol. ii. pp.163 177. Gricsbach's Symbols Oiticae, torn. i. pp. cxvii.
cxxii. cxxxvii. clvii clxiv. torn, ii. pp. 132 148. Griesbach's edit, of the New Test,
vol. i, Proleg. pp, IxxiiL Ixxxi, edit. Hal, 1 79$,
H 4
General Observations [Part I. Ch. III.
conformable to classic usage. The Western is characterised by read-
ings calculated to relieve the text from difficulties, and to clear the
sense : it frequently adds supplements to the passages adduced from
the Old Testament; and omits words that appear to be either re-
pugnant to the context or to other passages, or to render the mean-
ing obscure. The Alexandrine is free from the interpretations and
transpositions of the western recensions. An explanatory reading is
therefore suspicious in the western recension, and a classical one in
the Alexandrine. The Byzantine or Constantinopolitan recension
(according to Griesbach's system) preserves the Greek idiom still
purer than the Alexandrine, and resembles the Western in its use
of copious and explanatory readings. It is likewise mixed, through-
out, with the readings of the other recensions.
The system of recensions, above proposed by Bengel and Semler,
and completed by the late celebrated critic Dr. Griesboch, has been
subjected to a very severe critical ordeal ; and has been formidably
attacked., on the Continent by the late M. Matthaei, and in this coun-
try by the Rev. Dr. Laurence (now archbishop of Cashel) 1 , and the
Rev, Frederic Nolan.
2. Totally disregarding Griesbach's system of recensions, Profes-
sor MATTHAEI recognises only one class or family of manuscripts,
which he terms Codices Textus Perpetid, and pronounces every thing
that is derived from commentaries and scholia to be corrupt As
the manuscripts of the New Testaments which he found in the library
of the Synod, came originally from Mount Athos, and other parts
of the Greek empire, and as the Russian church is a daughter of the
Greek church, those manuscripts consequently contain what Gries-
bach has called the Byzantine Text ; which Matthsei admits to be the
only authentic text, excluding the Alexandrine and Western recen-
sions, and also rejecting all quotations from the fathers of the Greek
church. To the class of manuscripts to which the Codex Bezse, the
Codex Claromontanus, and others of high antiquity belong, he gave,
in the preface to his edition of Saint John's Gospel, the appellation
of Editio Sewrilis, nor did he apply softer epithets to those critics
who ventured to defend such manuscripts.' 2
3. The Rev. F. NOLAN'S system of recensions is developed in his
Inquiry into the Integrity of the Greek Vulgate or received Text of
the New Testament." (London, 1815, 8vo.) 3 That integrity he has
confessedly established by a series of proofs and connected arguments,
the most decisive that can be reasonably desired or expected ; but as
these occupy nearly six hundred closely printed pages, the limits of
this section necessarily restrict us to the following concise notice of
his elaborate system.
' In his ' Remarks on the Classification of Manuscripts adopted by Griesbach in his
edition of the New Testament," Oxford, 1814. 8vo.
2 Schoell, Hist, de la Literature Grecque, torn. ii. p. 13C. Bishop Marsh's Lectures,
part ii. p. 30. '
s There is a copious analysis of this work in the British Critic, (N. S/) vol. v. pp. l
24., from which, and from the work itself, the present notice of Mr. Nolan's system of
recensions is derived.
bSect. IIL 1.] :** On Greek Manuscripts. 105
I ^
I It has been an opinion as early as the times of Bishop Walton,
-that the purest text of the Scripture canon had been presetted at
Alexandria; the libraries of that city having been celebraiSj'froin
an early period for their correct and splendid copies. From'the
.identity of any MS. in its peculiar readings, with the Scripture quo-
tations of Origen, who presided in the catechetical school of Alex-
andria, a strong presumption arises that it contains the Alexandrine
recension : the supposition being natural, that Origen drew his quo-
tations from the copies generally prevalent in his native country.
This, as we have seen, was the basis of Dr. Griesbach's system of
recensions : accordingly he ascribes the highest rank to the manu-
scripts of the Alexandrine class, the authority of a few of which in
his estimation outweighs that of a multitude of the Byzantine. The
peculiar readings, which he selects from the manuscripts of this class,
he confirms by a variety of collateral testimony, principally drawn
from the quotations of the antient fathers and the versions made in
the primitive ages. To the authority of Origen, however, he ascribes
a paramount weight, taking it as the standard by which his colla-
teral testimony is to be estimated; and using their evidence merely
to support his testimony, or to supply it when it is deficient. The
readings which he supports by this weight of testimony, he considers
genuine; and, introducing a number of them into the sacred page,
he has thus formed his corrected text of the New Testament The
necessary result of this process, as obviously proving the existence
of a great number of spurious readings, has been that of shaking
the authority of the authorised English version, together with the
foundation on which it rests.
In combating the conclusions of Griesbaeh, Mr. Nolan argues,
from the inconstancy of Origen's quotations, that no certain conclu-
sion can be deduced from his testimony ; he infers from the history
of Origen, who principally wrote and published in Palestine, that the
text, quoted by that antient father, was rather the Palestine than the
Alexandrine ; and he proves, from the express testimony of Saint
Jerome, that the text of Origen was really adopted in Palestine,
while that of Hesychius was adopted at Alexandria.
Having thus opened the question, and set it upon the broader
ground assumed by those critics, who confirm the readings of the
Alexandrine text, by the coincidence of the antient versions of the
Oriental and Western churches ; Mr. N. combats this method, pro-
posed for investigating the genuine texts, in two modes. He first
shows that a coincidence between the Western and Oriental churches
does not necessarily prove the antiquity of the text which they mu-
tually support; as ihe versions of the former church were corrected,
after the texts of the latter, by Jerome and Cassiodorus, who may
have thus created the coincidence, which is taken as a proof of the
genuine reading. In the next place, he infers, from the prevalence
of a text published by Eusebius of Caesarea, and from the compara-
tively late period at which the Oriental Versions were formed, that
their general coincidence may be traced to the influence of Eusebius's
I edition, This position he establishes, by a proof deduced from the
106 General Observations [Part I. Ch. IIL
general prevalence of Eusebius's sections and canons in the Greek
MSS. and antient versions, and by a presumption derived from the
agreements of those texts and versions with each other, in omitting
several passages contained in the Vulgate Greek, which were at
variance with Eusebius's peculiar opinions. 1 And having thus esta-
blished the general influence of Eusebius's text, he generally con-
cludes against the stability of the critical principles on which the
German critics have undertaken the correction of the Greek Vulgate.
The material obstacles being thus removed to the establishment of
his plan, Mr. Nolan next proceeds to investigate the different classes
of text which exist in the Greek manuscripts. Having briefly con-
sidered the Scripture quotations of the fathers, and shown that they
afford no adequate criterion for reducing the text into classes, he
proceeds to the consideration of the antient translations, and after an
examination of the Oriental versions, more particularly of the Sahi-
dic, he conies to the conclusion, that no version but the Latin can
be taken as a safe guide in ascertaining the genuine text of Scripture.
This point being premised, the author lays the foundation of his
scheme of classification, in the following observations.
" In proceeding to estimate the testimony which the Latin trans-
lation bears to the state of the Greek text, it is necessary to premise,
that this translation exhibits three varieties: as corrected by Saint
Jerome, at the desire of Pope Damasus, and preserved in the Vul-
gate ; as corrected by Eusebius of Verceli, at the desire of Pope
Julius, and preserved in the Codex Vercellensis ; and as existing
previously to the corrections of both, and preserved, as I conceive,
in the Codex Brixianus. The first of these three editions of the
Italic translation is too well known to need any description ; both the
last are contained in beautiful manuscripts, preserved at Verceli, and
at Brescia, in Italy. The curious and expensive manner in which at
least the latter of these manuscripts is executed, as written on purple
vellum in silver characters, would of itself contain no inconclusive
proof of its great antiquity; such having been the form in which the
most esteemed works were executed in the times of Eusebius, Chry-
sostom, and Jerome. The former is ascribed, by immemorial tradi-
tion, to Eusebius Vercellensis, the friend of Pope Julius and Saint
Athanasius, and, as supposed to have been written with his own hand,
is deposited among the relics, which are preserved, with a degree of
superstitious reverence, in the author's church at Verceli in Pied-
mont. By these three editions of the translation, we might naturally
expect to acquire some insight into the varieties of the original ; and
this expectation is fully justified on experiment. The latter, not less
than the former, is capable of being distributed into three kinds;
each of which possesses an extraordinary coincidence with one of a
correspondent kind, in the translation. In a word, the Greek manu-
scripts are capable of being divided into three principal classes, one
i In the course of this discussion, Mr. Nolan assigns adequate reasons for the omission
of the following remarkable passages. Markxvi, 920., Johnviii. 1 11., and for the
peculiar readings of the following celebrated texts, Actsxx, 28, 1 Tim, Hi, 16. 1 John
T, 7. See his Inquiry, pp. 3541.
Sect. III. 1.] On Greek Manuscripts. 107
of which agrees with the Italic translation contained in the Brescia
manuscript; another with that contained in the Verceli manuscript;
and a third with that contained in the Vulgate." 1
Specimens of the nature and closeness or the coincidence of these
three classes are annexed by Mr. Nolan, in separate columns, from
which the four following examples are selected. He has prefixed the
readings of the received text and authorised English version (from
Matt. v. 38. 41. and 44.), in order to evince their coincidence with that
text, to which the preference appears to be due, on account of its con-
formity to the Italic translation contained in the Codex Brixianus.
38. KO.I o^ovra avri oSovTO^. Rec.
and a tooth for a tooth. Auth.
ofavra avn &wro$. Cant. dentein pro dentera. Verc.
y.ai cSovra avri oSoj/To?. Vat. et dentem pro dente, Vulg.
KOU oSovra avn O&OVTO?. Mosc. et dentem pro dente. Brix.
4?1 vKaye [LIT avrov Suo. Rec.
go with him twain. Auth.
/AST' avrov en aXXa Suo. vade cum illo adhuc alia duo.
Cant. Verc.
avrov Suo. Vat. vade cum illo et alia duo. Vulg.
' avrov Suo. Mosc. vade cum illo duo. Brix
44. EuXo-yeiTE vovq Y.araoopEVQVi; v[Aa,$. Rec.
bless them that curse you. Auth.
TOV<; KaJaoufAevovq vuxq* ...... desunt. Verc.
Cant. ...... desunt. Vulg.
hoyetre rovq KalaocopevDvq vpa,q. benedicite raaledicentibus vos.
Mosc. Brix.
44>.
pray for them who despitefully use you
and persecute you. Auth.
/ sTtYigexfyvTuv 'ACM .orate pro calumniantibus et perse-
/ 5/>ca(j. Cant. quentibus vos. Verc.
vKEp ray BtwxovTWj/ it^a^ orate pro persequentibus et calum-
Vat. niantibus vos. Vulg.
osafyvrav orate pro calumniantibus vobis et
Mosc. persequentibus vos. Brix.
The preceding short specimen will sufficiently evince the affinity
subsisting between the Latin and Greek manuscripts, throughout the
different classes into which they may be divided: at the same time it
will illustrate the dissimilarity which those classes exhibit among them-
selves, in either language, regarded separately. Still further to evince
the affinity which in other respects they possess among themselves, Mr.
NoJan exhibits a connected portion, comprising the first twelve verses of
the fifth chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel, in the original and the trans-
lation: from which we select the six following examples :
CLASS i.
Codex Cantalrigiensis. Codex Vercellensis.
1. I8wv $ TOU S - ox^ l '? aJ/E ft si* TO 1. Videns autem Jesus turbam,
y.a*Hicrav7oq avrov y ffpotr^X^v ascendit in montem, et cum sedis-
o |i*aSoj7a; avrov set, accesserunt ad eum discipuli
ejus ; _
1 Nolan's Inquiry, pp. 58 61.
.108
2, Kat
General Obsei-vations
[Part I. Ch. III.
TO a-Topa ai>Tw, 2. Et aperuit os suum, ct docebat
eos dicens :
3. Maxapioi ai *r7a%o* TU wevpeth' 3. Beati pauperes spiritu : quoni-
T* auT<yy so-riv j Gatriteia, TUV ovpavuv. am ipsorum est regnum coelorum.
5, Maxa^o* of -ffpws' or* avro* x^- 5. Beati mites : quoniam ipsi he-
pwofMjtrovtri rvjv yqv. * rcditate possidebunt terram.
4. Maxap; of wevfrow^' on auTot _ 4. Beati qui lugent: quoniam
-sraflaxXij&ijoWa*. *P s i consolabuntur.
6. Mav.cc/jioi of irwwles /* 8n|/i/7ec 6- Beati qui esuriunt et sitiunt
" i- justitiam : quoniam ipsi satura-
buntur.
Codex Vaticanus.
I. iS&jy Is rov<; oxfiovf, avyv}
avrw] of ]tAa5yj7ai avrov'
2. Kat avoi%a$ TO ffropa avrov,
3. MaxopioJ of izr7w%ot T
or* au7i?v eo-rtv jj paa-tKEta, ia>v
CLASS II.
Versio VuJgata.
; TO 1. Videns autem turbas ascendit
in montem, et cum sedissetacccsse-
runt ad eum discipuli ejus :
2. Et aperiens os suum, docebat
eos dicens :
3. Beati pauperes spiritu : quo-
niam ipsorum est regnum coelo-
rum.
4. Maxapiot of Erev3row7es' OTI uwrQt 4. Beati mites : quoniam ipsi
possidebunt terram.
5. Beati qui lugent: quoniam ipsi
consolabuntur.
s SjiJ/ftw- 6- Beati qui esuriunt et sitiunt
%op7acr- justitiam : quoniam ipsi saturabun-
tur.
Codex Moscuensis.
5. Maxapwt ot -arpaejg' ort au
6. Maxap*o* ot
7e S " TIJJ/ SixaiOiru^J'' on
I, I80v
TOV?
ave&q stq TO
KUTW ot /xaSr^7ai
2. Kat cti/oi
3. Maxa/uoi
t KVTUV zfftiv
4.
TUV ovpavuv*
f^' OT* auro:
CLASS III.
Codex Brixiensis,
1. Videns autcm turbas ascendit
in montem, et cum sedisset accesse-
runt ad eum discipuli ejus ;
2. Et aperiens os suum, docebat
eos dicens :
3. Beati pauperes spiritu : quoni-
am ipsorum est regnum coelorum.
4. Beati qui lugent : quoniam ipsi
consolabuntur.
5. Beati mansueti : quoniam ipsi
hereditabunt terram.
6. Peati qui esuriunt et sitiunt
justitiam : quoniam ipsi saturabun-
tur.
On these different classes of manuscripts in the Greek and Latin,
Mr. Nolan remarks, that it must be eviJent, on the most casual
inspection, that the manuscripts in both languages possess the same
. textj though manifestly of different classes. " They respectively
possess that identity in the choice of terms and arrangement of the
language, which is irreconcileable with the notion of their having
descended from different archetypes. And though these classes, in
either language, vary among themselves, yet, as "the translation fol-
6. Maxapio* of vrewuvJet; xat
Sect. III. J 1.] On Greek Manuscripts. 109
lows the varieties of the original, the Greek and Latin consequently
afford each other mutual confirmation. The different classes of
text in the Greek and Latin translation, as thus coincidingj may be
regarded as the conspiring testimony of those churches, which were
appointed the witnesses and keepers of Holy Writ, to the existence
of three species of text in the original and in the translation." l
Having thus produced the testimony of the eastern and western
churches to the existence of these classes, the learned inquirer pro-
ceeds to ascertain the antiquity of the classes : which he effects by
the Latin translation.
" As the existence of a translation necessarily implies the priority
of the original from which it was formed ; this testimony may be
directly referred to the close of the fourth century. The Vulgate
must be clearly referred to that period, as it was then formed by
St. Jerome ; in its bare existence, of course, the correspondent an-
tiquity of the Greek text, with which it agrees, is directly established.
This version is, however, obviously less antient than that of the
Verceli or Brescia manuscript ; as they are of the old Italic transla-
tion, while it properly constitutes the new. In the existence of
the antient version, the antiquity of the original text with that
which it corresponds is consequently established. The three classes
of text, which correspond with the Vulgate and Old Italic Version,
must be consequently referred to a period not less remote than the
close of the fourth century." -
The system of classification being thus carried up as high as the
fourth century, Mr. Nolan justifies it by the testimony of Jerome;
for this learned father, who lived at that period, asserts the existence
of three classes of text in the same age, which respectively prevailed
in Egypt, Palestine, and Constantinople. The identity of these
classes with the different classes of text which still exist in the Greek
original and Latin translation 3 t our author then proceeds to esta-
blish. And this he effects by means of the manuscripts which have
been written, the versions which have been published, and the col-
lations which have been made, in the different countries to which St,
Jerome refers his classes; founding every part of his proofs on the
testimony of Adler, Birch, Woiclc, Hunter, and other critics who
have analysed the text and versions of the New Testament,
The result of this investigation is, that the three classes of text,
which are discoverable in the Greek manuscripts, are nearly identical
with the three editions, which existed in the age of Jerome; with
which they are identified by their coincidence witli the Latin trans-
lation which existed in the age of that Christian father. Of \\wjlrst
class, the Codex Bezse or Cambridge manuscript, is an exemplar : it
contains the text which Jerome refers to l^ypt, and ascribes to
Hesychius. Of the second class 9 the Codex J'aticanus, or Vatican
manuscript, forms the exemplar, and contains the text which Jerome
refers to Palestine, and ascribes to Eusebius ; and of the third class,
) Nolan's Inquiry, p 70. a ibid, pp. 70, 71.
s To which is now to be added the Feschito or Old Syriar version. The identity
ahove noticed Mr. Nolan purposes fully to illustrate, in a future edition of his < Inquiry."
110 Genwal Observations [Part I. Ch, III.
the Moscow manuscript, collated by Matthsei, and by him noted with
the letter V. and the Harleian manuscript in the British Museum,
No. 5684-,, noted G. by Griesbach, are the exemplars, and contain
the text which Jerome attributes to Lucian, and refers to Constan-
tinople. The result of Mr. Nolan's long and elaborate discussion
is, that, as the Occidental or Western, Alexandrine, and Byzantine
texts (according to Griesbach's system of recensions), respectively
coincide with the Egyptian, Palestine, and Byzantine texts of Mr. N.,
\ve have only to substitute the term Egyptian for Western, and
Palestine for Alexandrine, in order to ascertain the particular text
of any manuscript which is to be referred to a peculiar class or edi-
tion. " The artifice of this substitution admits of this simple solu-
tion : the Egyptian text was imported by Eusebius of Verceli into
the West, and the Palestine text republished by Euthalius at Alex-
andria, the Byzantine text having retained the place in which it was
originally published by Lucianus. In a word, a manuscript which
harmonises with the Codex Cantabrigiensis, must be referred to the
first class, and will contain the text of Egypt. One which harmo-
nises with the Vatican manuscript, must be referred to the second
class, and will contain the text of Palestine. And one which har-
monises with the Moscow manuscript, must be referred to the third
class, and will contain the text of Constantinople. 1
The advantages resulting from the system'of recensions just de-
veloped are twofold : In the first place, itleadsHot only to a more
adequate method of classification, but also to the discovery of a more
antient text, by means of the priority of the old Italic Version to the
New or Vulgate Latin of Jerome. And, secondly, it coincides with
the respective schemes of Dr. Griesbach and of M. Matthsei, and
derives support from their different systems. It adopts the three
classes of the former, with a slight variation merely in the name of
the classes ; and, in ascertaining the genuine text, it attaches the same
authority to the old Italic translation, which the same distinguished
critic has ascribed to that version. It likewise agrees with the scheme
of Matthsei, in giving the preference to the KOJVIJ Ex8o<nj, the Greek
Vulgate or Byzantine text, over the Palestine and Egyptian ; but it
supports the authority of this text on firmer grounds than the con-
currence of the Greek manuscripts, " Hence," it is observed, that
" while it differs from the scheme of M. Matthsei, in building on the
Old Italic Version, it differs from that of Dr. Griesbach, in distin-
guishing the copies of this translation, which are free from the in-
fluence of the Vulgate, from those which have been corrected since
the times of Eusebius of Verceli, of Jerome, and Cassiodorus. And
it affords a more satisfactory mode of disposing of the multitude of
various readings, than that suggested by the latter, who refers them
to the intentional or accidental corruptions of transcribers; or by that of
the former, who ascribes them to the correction of the original Greek
ty the Latin translation : as it traces them to the influence of the text
which was published by Eusebius, at the command of Constantine."
1 Nolan's Inquiry, pp. 105, 106.
Sect. III. Jl.] On Greek Manuscripts. 1 J 1
4. Widely different from all the preceding theories is the system
of recensions proposed by the learned (Roman Catholic) Professor
HUG, of Fribourg, who affirms the existence of three recensions or
editions, and divides the history of the sacred text of the New Tes-
tament into three periods, viz.
(1.) The First Period comprises the text of the New Testament,
from the time when its several books were written to the third cen-
tury. That text, according to the testimony of Clement of Alex-
andria, Origen, Irenaeus, and other Fathers, was early the object
of imprudent or rash alterations ; although their statements were
greatly exaggerated, yet the fact is certain, that such alterations were
actually made; and the text, thus altered, was, according to Hug,
what is commonly termed KOINH EKAO2I2, or the common edition.
Though almost every where the same, this edition had two forms, a
little different, one of which corresponds with Griesbach's Western
Recension, and the other with his special Asiatic Instruments, and
particularly with the Peschito or Old Syriac version.
(2.) Second Period. The defects of the common edition having
been perceived about the middle of the third century, three learned
men, severally and independently, though nearly simultaneously, un-
dertook the arduous task of purifying the text, and of restoring it
to its first form, by the aid of manuscripts, viz. Origen in Pales-
tine, Hesychius in Egypt, where he was a bishop, and Lucian, a
priest at Antioch, in Syria. The work of Hesychius was generally
received in Egypt, and became the source of the Alexandrine
family : that of Lucian^ which was better known, and has sometimes
been termed the Editio VuLgata, or Lucia?ius y was introduced into
divine worship in Syria, in Asia Minor, in Thrace, and at Constan-
tinople ; and that of Origen, having been made in his old age, and
left for publication by his pupils, was confined within Palestine,
where it was soon superseded by the edition of Lucian, and in no
long time was entirely lost.
(3.) The Third Period of the history of the text of the New Tes-
tament embraces the variations made therein, from the threefold
recension in the third century, to our own time. l
5. The system proposed by Professor Hug has been much and
deservedly admired for its ingenuity, and for the solution which it
affords to a great number of difficulties. It has, however, been ma-
terially modified by Dr. (now Professor) SCHOLZ, a pupil of Hug's,
of whose views he is by no means a servile follower,
Scholz has, in fact, proposed two systems of recensions.
(1.) Thejirst of these systems was communicated to the public
in 1820' 2 , and was the result of his examination of forty-eight manu-
scripts in the Royal Library at Paris; seventeen of which he col<r
lated entirely and with the utmost care, and nine of them had never/
before been examined by any person. In the opinion of Scholz, there
1 Celleritir, Introduction au Nouv* Test. pp. 84 103. Hug's Introd. to the New
Testament, vol. i. pp.134 331.
- Curse Criticoi in Historiom Textus Evangeliorum, Connnentationibus Duis exhibitsg
a Job. M, Augustino Scholz. Heidelbergse, 1820. 4to,
General Observations [Part I. Ch. III.
is nothing which indicates the existence of the Origenian Recension;
and the labours of Hesychius and of Lucian had no more influence
on the history of the text than those of their predecessors. He
professes carefully to have examined every thing concerning them in
the antient writers of the church ; and he states that he has found
nothing that could lead him to form a different idea. But, among
the various instruments or manuscripts which he has compared,
he thinks he has discovered vestiges of four distinct families ; viz.
two African or rather Egyptian^ one of which corresponds with the
Alexandrine Recension of Griesbach, and the other, with his Occi-
dental Recension; and two Asiatic, one of which is particularly
deserving of that name, and corresponds with the special Asiatic
instruments of Griesbach, and the other under the appellation of
Byzantine^ is the Constantinopolitan Recension. To these he added
a fifth recension, which he denominated the Cyprian^ because it con-
tains that text which is exhibited in the Codex Cypriu^ a manuscript
of the eighth century brought from the isle of Cyprus (whence it
derives its name), which is described in a subsequent page. By a
comparison of the readings of the Codex Cypvius with the received
text, and with the Alexandrine and Constantinopolitan Recensions
in nearly one hundred instances. Professor Scholz has shown, that
it very frequently coincides with the two last, sometimes agreeing with
both, sometimes following the one or the other of them, and some-
times holding a mean between them. In many instances it harmo-
nises with but few manuscripts ; and in some cases its readings are
peculiar to itself. On these accounts, he is of opinion that the Codex
Cyprius exhibits a>family which has sprung from a collation of vari-
ous manuscripts, some of which owe their origin to Egypt, others to
Asia, and others to Cyprus.
The origin and history of the four African and Asiatic families
above mentioned, are investigated at considerable length by Profes-
sor Seholz, who proceeds to form an estimate of their respective
critical merits. In the two African families he finds an extremely
corrupted text; but the two Asiatic families are very superior to
them, approaching much nearer to the original purity of the antient
text : and (which is a necessary consequence) they differ very little
from each other ; they present a text much more fixed, more uni-
form, and more generally approved.
It is proper to add that, subsequently to Scholz's publication of
the preceding theory of recensions, Professor Hug, with a candour
and modesty which reflect the highest honour upon him, announced
that his pupil's labours had led him to entertain some doubts con-
cerning his own system ; and that he shall wait for the appearance
of the critical edition of the New Testament which Seholz is prepar-
ing, before he offers any reply to his theory.
(2.) The theory of Prof. Seholz has been materially modified in
consequence of the results obtained by him in his Biblical Re-
searches in various parts of Europe and in Palestine ; and in which '
he goes far towards overturning the bases of the systems of recen-
sions generally adopted in Germany. Of these details he has pub-
Sect. III. I .] On Greek Manuscripts. US
lished an interesting account (in German 1 ), which does not admit of
abridgment. It may, however, suffice here to state that from the
differences which are sufficiently perceptible in the manuscripts and
editions of the Greek Text of the New Testament, he concludes that
these instruments naturally -divide themselves into TWO great classes,
which are constantly the same throughout the books of the New Tes-
tament. To the first of these classes belong all the editions and
those numerous manuscripts, which were written within the limits of
the patriarchate of Constantinople) or which were destined for litur-
gical use: the second class comprises certain manuscripts written in
the south of France, in Sicily, Egypt, and elsewhere. Transcribed,
unquestionably, from copies which were valuable on account of
their age and beauty, they were intended only to preserve the con-
tents of those copies: but, as they presented a different text from,
that which was generally received, they could not be employed in
divine service: hence they were foe. the most part negligently written,
with an incorrect orthography, and on leaves of vellum of different sizes
and qualities. To this class, Prof. Scholz gives the appellation of
Alexandrine., because its text originated in Alexandria. The other
class he terms the Constantinopolitan^ because its text was written
within the precincts of the patriarchate of Constantinople : and he
has endeavoured to show, by the actual collation of several hundred
manuscripts (which is further confirmed by an induction of historical
particulars), that the Constantinopolitan text is almost always faithful
to the text now actually received, while the Alexandrine text varies
from it. in almost every verse. There are extant other manuscripts,
which, belong sometimes to one class, and sometimes to the other,
and which also have some peculiar varieties : but repeated examin-
ations of them enable him to state that they do not possess sufficient
characters to constitute them distinct classes. '
In the subsequent part of his Biblico- Critical Travels, Professor
Scholz proceeds to discuss the use of the terms, recensio and textus
recetisus, introduced by Griesbach, and formerly adopted by himself;
which terms he is of opinion are now no longer applicable. According
to Scholz, the Constantinopolitan text never underwent any general
revision; and the Alexandrine text, which was corrupted in the
three first centuries, has since that time remained .without any fur-
ther alteration.
Although Prof. Scholz' s system of classing manuscripts seems,
at first view, to contradict those of his predecessors in this depart-
ment of sacred criticism, yet this contradiction is only apparent not
real : for he actually recognises the same facts as other critics, he only
denies the importance of some, and explains others in a different way*
With respect to the results, however, there is no difference. The
grand, the final result of the principle of families, viz. the possibility
1 Biblische Critische Reise, &c. L e. Biblico- Critical Travels in France, Switzerland,
Italy, Palestine, and the Archipelago, in 1818-1821. pp, I61J 182. Leipzig, J823. Kvo.
There is an interesting account of these Travels in the Bibliotheque Universelle (Literature)
for 1823, torn, atxiv. pp, 335 355*
VOL,. II. I,
Observations on Greek Manuscripts* [Part I. Ch. III.
and certainty of the integrity of the sacred text is exposed more
distinctly by Scholz than by any of his predecessors. Further,
though not free from objections, this system appears generally to offer
more than any other, a remarkable character of simplicity and uni-
versality : it is less complicated, and also possesses a greater degree
of probability, than those of Griesbach and Hug, and it is supported
by researches which are truly learned and laborious. Although the
absolute certainty of Scholz's system can only be determined by the
appearance of the critical edition of the Greek New Testament, which
he is preparing for publication ; yet he is allowed to have done much
towards demonstrating the great pre-eminence of the Asiatic or Con-
stantinopolitan text" over the African or Alexandrine text, and conse-
quently the real merit of the present received text of the New Tes-
tament. But, whatever may be the result of Scholz's projected
edition, (and towards which six hundred, manuscripts^ unknown to
Griesbach, have lent their aid,) the critical labours of Dr. "Griesbach
will not cease to possess high claims to the grateful attention of every
student of sacred literature.
As a general and correct index to the great body of Greek manu-
scripts, they are an invaluable treasure to the scholar, and a necessary
acquisition to the divine: at the same time, his collection of various
readings is admirably calculated to satisfy our minds on a point of the
highest moment, the integrity of the Christian Records. Through
the long interval of seventeen hundred years, amidst the collision
of parties, the opposition of enemies, and the desolations of time,
* they remain the same as holy men read them in the primitive ages of
Christianity* A very minute examination of manuscripts, versions,
and fathers, proves the inviolability of the Christian Scriptures.
" They all coincide in exhibiting the same Gospels, Acts, and Epistles;
and among all tiie copies of them which have been preserved, there
is not one which dissents from the rest either in the doctrines or pre-
cepts', which constitute Christianity. They ALL contain the same
doctrines and precepts. For the knowledge of this fact, we are in-
debted to such men as Griesbach, whose zealous and persevering
labours to put us in possession of it intitle them to our grateful
remembrance. To the superficial, and to the novice, in theology,
the long periods of life, and the patient investigation, which have been
applied to critical investigation, may appear as mere waste, or, at the
best, as only amusing employment,: but to the serious inquirer, who,
from his own conviction, can declare that he is not following cun-
ningly devised fables, the time, the talents, and the learning, which
have been devoted to critical collation, will be accounted as well ex-
pended, for the result which they have accomplished. The real theo-
logian is satisfied from his own examination, that the accumulation of
many thousands of various read ings, obtained at the expense of immense
critical labour, does not affect a single sentiment in the whole New
Testament. And thus is criticism, which some despise, and others
neglect, found to be one of those undecaying columns, by which
the imperishable structure of Christian Truth is supported." 1
J Eclectic Be vie \v 9 vol, v. parti, p, 189.
Sect. III. 2.JJ Account of Greek Manuscripts. 115
VI. From the coincidence observed between many Greek manu-
scripts and the Vulgate, or some other Latin version, a suspicion arose
in the minds of several eminent critics, that the Greek text had been
altered throughout to the Latin ; and it has been asserted that at the
council of Florence, (held in 1439 with the view of establishing an
union between the Greek and Latin churches,) a resolution was
formed, that the Greeks should alter their manuscripts from the Latin.
This has been termed by the learned, Fczdus cum Gr&cis. The sus-
picion, concerning the altering of the Greek text, seems to have been
first suggested by Erasmus, but it does not appear that he supposed
the alterations were made before the fifteenth century : so that the
charge of Latinising the manuscripts did not (at least in his notion of it)
extend to the original writers of the manuscript, or as they are called,
the writers a primd mami; since it affected only the writers a secunda
manu, or subsequent interpolators. The accusation was adopted and
extended by Father Simon and Dr, Mill, and especially by Wetstein.
Bengel expressed some doubts concerning it ; and it was formally
questioned by Seinler, Griesbach, and Woide. The reasonings of
the two last-mentioned critics convinced Michaelis (who had formerly
agreed with Erasmus) that the charge of Latinising was unfounded;
and in the fourth edition of his Introduction to the New Testament
(the edition translated by Bishop Marsh), with a candour of which
there are too few examples, Michaelis totally abandoned his first
opinion, and expressed his opinion that the pretended agreement in
the Fcedus cum Gr&cis is a mere conjecture of Erasmus, to which he
had recourse as a refuge in a matter of controversy. Carrying the
proof to its utmost length, it only shows that the Latin translations
and the Greek copies were made from the same exemplars ; which
rather proves the antiquity of the Latin translations, than the cor-
ruption of the Greek copies. It is further worthy of remark, that
Jerome corrected the Latin from the Greek, a circumstance which is
known in every part of the Western Church. Now, as Michaelis justly
observes, when it was known that the learned father had made the
Greek text the basis of his alterations in the Latin translation, it is
scarcely to be imagined that the transcribers of the Western Church
would alter the Greek by the Latin ; and it is still less probable, that
those of the Eastern Church would act in this manner. 1
%. ACCOUNT OF GREEK MANUSCRIPTS, CONTAINING THJE OLD AND
NEW TESTAMENTS,
I. The Alexandrian Manuscript. II. The Vatican
the few manuscripts known to be extant, which contain the
Greek Scriptures,(that is, the Old Testament, according to the Scp-
tuagint Version, and the New Testament,) there are two which pre-
eminently demand the attention of the biblical student for their
1 Michaelis's Introduction, vol. ii. parti, pp. 163 173. Butler's Ilorae Biblica;,
vol. i. p, 1 8.
1 2
1 16 Account of Greek Manuscripts [Part I. Ch. III.
antiquity and intrinsic value, viz. The Alexandrian manuscript, which
is preserved in the British Museum, and the Vatican .manuscript,
deposited in the library of the Vatican Palace at Rome.
I. The CODEX ALEXANDRINUS, or Alexandrian Manuscript, which
is noted by the letter A. in Wetstein's and Griesbach's critical edi-
tions .of the New Testament, consists of four folio volumes ; the three
first -cantain the whole of the Old Testament, together with the apo-
cryphal boots, and the fourth comprises the New Testament, the
first epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, and the apocryphal Psalms
ascribed to Solomon. In the New Testament there is wanting the
beginning as far as Matt. xxv. 6. o vup,<pio sp^srai ; likewise from
John vi. 50. to viii. 52. and from 2 Cor. iv. 1 3. to xii. 7- The Psalms
are preceded by the epistle of Athanasius to Marcellinus, and fol-
lowed by a catalogue, containing those which are to be used in prayer
for each hour, both of the day and of the night ; also 'by fourteen
hymns, partly apocryphal, partly -biblical, the eleventh of which
is the hymn of .the Virgin Mary, usually termed the Magnificat,
(Luke i. 46 55.) and here intitled irpo<rev%y Mapid$ ry$ QeoroKO'j,
or, the prayer of Mary the mother of God; the arguments of Eu-
sebius are annexed to the Psalms, and his canons to the Gospels.
This manuscript is now preserved in the British Museum, where
it was deposited in 1753. It was sent as a present to King
Charles I. from Cyrillus Lucaris, a native of Crete, and patriarch of
Constantinople, by Sir Thomas Howe, ambassador from England to
the Grand Seignior, in the year 1628. Cyriilus^brought it with him
from Alexandria, where, probably, it was written. In a schedule
annexed to it, he gives this account; that it was written, according to
tradition, by Thecla, a noble Egyptian lady, about thirteen hundred
years ago, a little after the council of Nice. He adds, that the name of
Thecla, at the, end of the book, was erased ; but that this was the case
with other books of the Christians, after Christianity was extinguished
in Egypt by the Mohammedans : and that recent tradition records
the fact of the laceration .and erasure of Thecla's name. The pro-
prietor of thij .manuscript, before it came into the hands of Cyrillus
Lucaris, liad written an Arabic subscription, expressing that this book
was said to have been written with the pen of Thecla the Martyr.
Various disputes have arisen with regard to the place whence it
was brought, and where it was written, to its antiquity, and of course
to its real value. Some critics have bestowed upon it the highest
commendation, whilst it has been equally depreciated by others; Of
its most strenuous adversaries, Wetstein seems to have been the
principal. The place from which it was sent to England was, without
doubt, Alexandria, and tence it has been called Codex Alexandrinus.
As to the place where it was written, there is a considerable differ-
ence of opinion. Matthus Muttis, who was a contemporary, friend,
and deacon of Cynllus, and who afterwards instructed in the Greek
language John Rudolph Wetstein, uncle of the celebrated editor of
^e Greek Testament, bears testimony, in a letter written to Martin
JBogW. a physician in Berne, dated January 14 1664, that it had
been brought from one of the twenty-two monasteries in Mount
Athos, which the Turks never destroyed, but allowed to continue
Sect. III. 2.] Containing the Old and Nm Testaments. 117
upon the payment of tribute. Dr. Woide endeavours to weaken the
evidence ofMuttis, and to render the testimony of the elder Wetstein
suspicious: but Spohn 1 shows that the objections of Woide are un-
grounded. Allowing their reality, we cannot infer that Cyrillus found
this manuscript in Alexandria. Before he went to Alexandria he
spent some time on Mount Athos, the repository and manufactory of
manuscripts of the New Testament, whence a great number have been
brought into the West of Europe 3 and a still greater number, has
been sent to Moscow. It is therefore probable, independently of the
evidence of Muttis, that Cyrillus procured it there either by purchase
or by present, took it with him to Alexandria, and brought it thence
on his return to Constantinople. But the question recurs, where was
this copy written? The Arabic subscription above cited, clearly
proves, that it had been in Egypt at some period or other, before it
fell into the hands of Cyrillus. This subscription shows that it once
belonged to an Egyptian, or that during some time it was preserved
in Egypt, where Arabic has been spoken since the seventh century.
Besides, it is well known that a great number of manuscripts of the
Greek Bible have been written in Egypt. Woide has also pointed
out a remarkable coincidence between the Codex Alexandrinus and
the writings of the Copts. Michaelis alleges another circumstance
as a probable argument of its having been written in Egypt. In
Ezekiel xxvii. 18. both in the Hebrew and Greek text, the Tyrians.
are said to have fetched their wine from Chelbon, or, according to-
Bochart> Chalybon. But as Chalybon, though celebrated for its wine,,
was unknown to the writer of this manuscript, he has altered it by a
fanciful conjecture to OM/OV ex p^e/Hpcov, wine from Hebron. This alter-
ation was probably made by an Egyptian copyist, because Egypt was
formerly supplied with wine from Hebron. The subscription before
mentioned ascribes the writing of it to Thecla, an Egyptian lady of
high rank, who could not have been, as Michaelis supposes, the mar-
tyress Thecla, placed in the time of St. Paul : but Woide replies,
that a distinction must be made between Thecla martyr, and Thecla
proto-martyr. With regard to these subscriptions we may observe,
with Bishop Marsh, that the true state of the case appears to be as
follows : " Some centuries after the Codex Alexandrinus had been
written, and the Greek subscriptions, and perhaps those other parts
where it is more defective, already lost, it fell into the hands of a,
Christian inhabitant of Egypt, who, not finding the usual Greek sub-
scription of the copyist, added in Arabic, his native language, the
tradition, either true or false, which had been preserved in the family
or families to which the manuscript had belonged, * Memorant hunc
codicem scriptum esse calamo Theclae martyris.' In the 1 7th century,
when oral tradition respecting this manuscript had probably ceased,
it became the property of Cyrillus Lucaris : but whether in Alex-
andria, or Mount Athos, is of no importance to the present inquiry,
On examining the manuscript, he finds that the Greek subscription
1 Carol! Godofredi Woidii Notitia Codicis AlexandrinI, curn variis ejus lectionibua
omnibus. Recudendum curavit, uotasque sdjeclt Gottlieb Leberecht Spoho, pp. 1013,
(8vo. Lipsi, 1790.)
I 3
118 " Account of Greek Manuscripts [Part I. Ch. III.
is lost, but that there is a tradition recorded in Arabic by a former
proprietor, which simply related that it was written by one Thecla a
martyress, which is what he means by c memoria et traclitio recens.*
Taking therefore upon trust, that one Thecla a martyress was really
the copyist, he consults the annals of the church to discover in what
age and country a person of this name and character existed ; finds
that an Egyptian lady of rank, called Thecla, suffered martyrdom
between the time of holding the council of Nicaeaand the close of the
fourth century; and concludes, without further ceremony, that she
was the very identical copyist. Not satisfied with this discovery, he
attempts to account for the loss of the'Greek subscription, and ascribes
it to the malice of the Saracens ; being weak enough to believe that
the enemies of Christianity would exert their vengeance on the name
of a poor transcriber, and leave the four folio volumes themselves
unhurt" Dr. Woide, who transcribed and published this manu-
script, and must be better acquainted with it than any other person,
asserts, that it was written by two different copyists ; for he observed
a difference in the ink, and, which is of greater moment, even in
the strokes of the letters. The conjecture of Oudin, adopted by
Wetstein, that the manuscript was written by an Accemet is, in the
judgment of Michaelis, worthy of attention ^ and he add^ that this
conjecture does not contradict the account that Thecla was the
copyist, since there were not only monks but nuns of this order.
The antiquity of this manuscript has also been the subject of con-
troversy. Grabe and Schulze think that it might have been written
: before the end of the fourth century, which, says Michaelis, is the
very utmost period that can be allowed, because it contains the
epistles of Athanasius. Oudin places it in the tenth century. Wetstein
refers it to the fifth, and supposes that it was one of the manuscripts
collected at Alexandria in 615, for the Syriac version. Dr. Semler
refers it to the seventh century. Montfiiucon* is of opinion, that
neither the Codex Alexandrinus, nor any Greek manuscript, can be
said with great probability to be much prior to the sixth century,
Michaelis apprehends, that this manuscript was written after Arabic
was become the native language of the Egyptians, that is, one, or
rather two centuries after Alexandria was taken by the Saracens,
which happened in the year 640, because the transcriber frequently
confounds M and B, which is often done in the Arabic : and he
concludes, ^ that it is not more antient than the eighth century.
Woide, after a great display of learning, with which he examines
the evidence for the antiquity of the Codex Alexandrians, concludes,
that it was written between the middle and the end of the fourth
i The Acoemets were a class of monks in the antient church, who flourished, particu-
larly in the East, during the fifth century. They were so called, because they had divine
service performed, without interruption, in their churches. They divided themselves
into three bodies, eacli of which officiated in turn, and relieved the others, so that their
churches were never silent, either night or day. Wetstein adopts the opinion of Caahnir
Oudin, that the Codex Alexandrinus was written by an Acixmjet, because it contains a
catalogue of the psalms that were to be sung at every hour both of the day and night.
Proleg. in Nov. Test. vol. i. p. 10,
9 Palscog, Grcec. p, 185.
Sect. III. f 2.] Containing the Old and New Testaments* 119
century. It cannot be allowed a greater antiquity, because it has
not only the TtTAoj or ?CE<$#A#J# majora, but the KstyoLKcua, minora, or
Ammonian sections, accompanied with the references to the canons
of Eusebius. Woide's arguments have been objected to by Spohn. 1
Some of the principal arguments advanced by those who refer this
manuscript to the fourth or fifth centuries are the following : the
epistles of Saint Paul are not divided into chapters like the gospels,
though this division took place so early as 396, when to each chapter
was prefixed a superscription. ^The Codex Alexandrinus has the
epistles of Clement of Rome ; but these were forbidden to be read
in the churches, by the council of Laodicea, in 364, and that of
Carthage, in 419. Hence Schulze has inferred, that it was written
before the year 364; and he produces a new argument for its anti-
quity, deduced from the last of the fourteen hymns found in it after
the psalms, which is superscribed vpvo$ e0*vo$, and is called the grand
doxology ; for this hymn has not the clause ayiog o Qso$, otyto$ i<rxvpo$ 9
ayios a0varo, eXeya-ov vj^aj, which was used between the years 434
and 446 ; and therefore the manuscript must have been written be-
fore this time. Wetstein thinks that it must have been written before
the time of Jerome, because the Greek text of this manuscript was
altered from the old Italic. He adds, that the transcriber was igno-
rant that the Arabs were called Hagarenes, because he has written
(1 Chron. v. 20.) ayopxioi for Ayapaioi. Others allege that ayop*o*
is a mere erratum : because Ayap#*wv occurs in the preceding verse,
Aypir>] in 1 Chron, xxvii. 31. and Aypjvoi in Psal. Ixxxii. 7. These
arguments, says Michaelis, afford no certainty, because the Codex
Alexandrinus must have been copied from a still more antient ma-
nuscript ; and if this were faithfully copied, the arguments apply
rather to this than to the Alexandrian manuscript itself. It is the
hand-writing alone, or the formation of the letters, with the want of
accents, which can lead to any probable decision. The arguments
alleged to prove that it is not so antient as the fourth century, are
the following. Dr. Semler thinks, that the epistle of Athanasius,
on the value and excellency of the Psalms, would hardly have been
prefixed to them during his life. But it ought to be recollected,
that Athanasius had many warm and strenuous advocates. From
this epistle Oudin has attempted to deduce an argument, that the
manuscript was written in the tenth century. This epistle, lie says,
is spurious, and could not have been forged (luring the life of Atha-
nasius, and the tenth century was fertile in spurious productions.
Again, the Virgin Mary, in the superscription of the Song of the
Blessed Virgin, is styled fleoloxo?, a name which Wetstein says be-
trays the fifth century. Further, from the probable conjecture,
that this manuscript was written by one of the order of the Acoe-
metffi, Oudin concludes against its antiquity ; but Wetstein contents
himself with asserting, that it could not have been written before
the fifth century, because Alexander, who founded this order, lived -
about the year 420. From this statement, pursued more at large,
i Pp, 42109. of his edition of Woide's Notitia Codicis Alexandria!,
l 4
120 Account of Greek Manuscripts [Part I, Ch. III.
Michaelis deduces a reason for paying less regard to the Codex
Alexandrians than many eminent critics have done, and for the pre-
ference that is due, in many respects, to antient versions, before
any single manuscript, because the antiquity of the former, which is
in general greater than that of the latter, can be determined with
more precision.
The value of this manuscript has been differently appreciated by
different writers. Wetstein, though he denotes it by A, the first
letter of the .alphabet, is no great admirer of it, nor docs Michaelis
estimate it highly, either on account of its internal excellence or the
value of its readings. The .principal charge which has been pro-
duced against the Alexandrian manuscript, and which has been
strongly urged by Wetstein, is its having been altered from the
Latin version. It is incredible, says Michaelis, who once agreed
in opinion with Wetstein, but found occasion to alter his sentiments,
that a transcriber who lived in Egypt, should have altered the
Greek text from a -Latin version, because Egypt belonged to the
Greek diocese, and Latin was not understood there. On this sub-
ject Woide has eminently displayed his critical abilities, and ably
defended the Greek manuscripts in general, and the Codex Alex-
andrinus in particular, from the charge of having been corrupted
from the Latin. Griesbach concurs with Woide l , and both .have
contributed to confirm Michaelis in his new opinion. If this ma-
nuscript has been corrupted from a version, it is more reasonable
to suspect the Coptic, the version of the country in which it was
written. Between this manuscript and both the Coptic ancl Syriac
versions, there is a remarkable coincidence. Griesbach has ob-
served, that this manuscript follows three different editions : the
Byzantine in the Gospels, the Western edition in the Acts of the
Apostles, and the Catholic epistles, which form the middle division
of this manuscript, and the Alexandrine in the epistles of Saint
Paul. The transcriber, if this assertion be true, must have copied
the three parts of the Greek Testament from three different manu-
scripts of three different editions. It is observable, that the read-
ings of the Codex Alexandrinus coincide very frequently not only
with the Coptic and the old Syriac, but with the new .Syriac and
the Ethiopia; and this circumstance favours the hypothesis, that
this manuscript was written in Egypt, because the new Syriac
version having been collated with Egyptian manuscripts of the
Greek Testament, and the Ethiopic version being taken imme-
diately from them, have necessarily the readings of the Alexandrine
.edition.
The Alexandrian manuscript is written in uncial ,or capital letters,
without any accents or marks of aspiration, but with a few abbre-
viations nearly similar to those already noticed 2 , and also with some
others which are described by Dr, Woide 3 , who has likewise ex-
plained the various points and spaces occurring in this manuscript
s I 1 " JT P S J mb ?V r J tiC *''' U. pp. 110-117. tt See pp, >8, 99. supra.
is4 6 . frc-simile of the Alexandrian manuscript of the New Testament,
Sect. III. 2.] Containing the Old and New Testaments, 121
A fac-simile of the Codex Alexandrinus, containing the New
Testament, \vas published in folio by the late Dr. Woide., assistant
librarian of the British Museum, with types cast for the purpose,
line for line, without intervals between the words, precisely as in the
original. 1 The following specimen will convey to the reader an idea
of this most precious manuscript.
John i. 1 7-
? e.
7
'
MXPXH H MOXOrOCK-XIOXOroCM
OVTOCHMeMXPXHTTTOCTOMeM
KXIXOJ
KXIM2XJDH M MTOC
KXITOCbcJDCeMTi ICKOTIXCpXI
i KxiHCKOTixxvnrooYKXTe
~
C TCOYCDXMMHC OYTOCMXOeM
/ eiCMXPTYPIXM 'iMXMXPTYpH
CHTTePITOYCJ^CDTOC IMXTrXM
TeCTTlCTeYCCUCIKI^IXYTOY
For this stereotype specimen we are indebted to the Rev. tL
Baber, one of the librarians of the British Museum, who kindly
favoured us with the use of the Alexandrian types, with which he
printed the Codex Alexandrinus/ 2 For the gratification of the
English reader, the following extract is subjoined, comprising the
first seven verses of Saint John's Gospel, rendered rather more liter-
ally than the idiom of our language will admit, in order to convey
an exact idea of the original Greek (above given) of the Alexandrian
manuscript,
i See a notice of Dr. Woide's publication, in the Appendix to this volume,, p. 1
See an account of this magnificent publication in the Appendix to this volume, pp.38,
39, The reader, who may be desirous of further information concerning the Alexandrian
manuscript, is referred to Dr. Grabe's prolegomena to his edition of the Greek Septua-
gint, and also to the prolegomena of Dr. Woide already cited, and to those of Dr. Mill
and "Wetatein, prefixed to their editions of the New Testament. See also Michaelis*s
Introduction to the Nexv Testament, vol. ii, parti, pp. 186 209, and Bishop Marsh's
notes in partii. pp,648 660., and Hug's Introduction to the New Test. vol. i. pp.268
273. Dr* Lardner has given the table of contents of this manuscript in his Credibility
of the Gospel History, partii. chap. H7 (Works, 8vo. vol. y. pp. 253 256. ; 4to.
vol.iv, pp. 44 4&)
1 22 Account of Greek Manuscripts [Part I. Ch , III.
John i. 1 7.
INTHEBEGINNINGWASTHEWORDANDTHEWORDWAS
WITHGD'ANDGDWASTHEWORD_
HEWASINTHEBEGINNINGWITHGD
ALLWEREMADEBYHIMANDWITH
OUTHIMWASMADENOTONETH/ATG-
THATWASMADEINHIMLIFEWAS'
ANDTHELIFEWASTHELIGHTOFMN
ANDTHELIGHTINDARKNESSSHIN
ETHANDTHEDARKNESSDIDNOTITCOMPRE
HEND' THEREWASAMNSE
NTFROMGODWHOSENAME WAS
ASAWITNESSTHATHEMIGHTTESTI
FYCONCERNINGTHELIGHTTHATA
LLMIGHTBELIEVETHROUGHHIM-
II, The CODEX VATICANUS, No. 1209., which Wetstein and
Griesbach have both noted with the letter B, contests the palm of
antiquity with the Alexandrian manuscript. No fac-simile of it
has ever been published. The Roman edition of the Septua<int,
printed in 1590, professes to exhibit the text of this manuscript;
i and in the preface to that edition it is stated to have been written
' before the year 387, L e. towards the close of the fourth century :
Montfaucon and Blanchini refer it to the fifth or sixth century*
and Dupin to the seventh century. Professor Hug has endea-
voured to show that it was written in the early part of the fourth
century; but, from the omission of the Eusebian Ke<aAj and
nrAoi, Bishop Marsh concludes with great probability that it was
written before the close of the fifth century. The Vatican manu-
script is written on parchment or vellum, in uncial or capital letters,
in three columns on each page, all of which are of the same size'
except at the beginning of a book, and without any divisions of
chapters, verses, or words, but with accents and spirits. The shape
of the letters, and colour of the iuk, prove that it was written
throughout by one and the same careful copyist. The abbrevi-
ations are few, being confined chieflyjo those words which are in
general abbreviated, such as C, KG, 1C, XC, for 0to;, Kwioc
Vouf, Xpw, God, Lord, Jesus, Christ. Originally this manuscript
contained the entire Greek Bible, including both the Old and New
Testaments ; in which respect it resembles none so much as the
Lodex Alexandrmus, though no two manuscripts vary more in
their readings. The Old Testament wants the first forty-six chan-
ters of Genesis, and thirty-two psalms, viz. from Psal.cv. to cxxxvii
inclusive ; and the New Testament wants the latter part of the epistle
to the Hebrews, viz. all after chapter ix. verse 14k and also Saint
Pan la other epistles to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, and the
whole Book ot Revelation. It appears, however, that this last
book, as well as the latter part of the epistle to the Hebrews, 1m
Sect. III. 2.] Containing the Old and Neto Testaments. 123
been supplied by a modern hand in the fifteenth century, and, it is
said, from some manuscript that had formerly belonged to Cardi-
nal Bessarion. In many places the faded letters have also been
retouched by a modern but careful hand : and when the person
who made these amendments (whom Michaelis pronounces to have
been a man of learning) found various readings in other manuscripts
he has introduced them into the Codex Vaticanus, but has still
preserved the original text ; and in some few instances he has ven-
tured to erase with a penknife. Various defects, both in ortho-
graphy and language, indicate that this manuscript was executed
by an Egyptian copyist. Instead of cnAPo^, &c. Tie has written
<ruAX>jp{/>j, A^^/ecr^e, Ajjjw^SiijcreTai, which occurs only in Coptic or
Grseco-coptic MSS. He has also written elTrav for elTrov, as may be
seen in the celebrated Rosetta inscription ; sTSav, lW#v, e/cnjASotv,
aveiXciTo, and SispapTvpuTOy as in the inscription of the Theban Mem-
non ; and Iwpaxav and ysyovav, as the Alexandrians wrote according
to the testimony of Sextus Empiricus. These peculiarities show
that the Codex Vaticanus exhibits the Egyptian text, subsequent to
the third century, according to the Alexandrine Recension of Gries-
bach, and the Flesychian Recension of Hug.
It has been supposed that this manuscript was collated by the
editors of the Complutensian Polyglott, and even that 'this edition
was almost entirely taken from it : but Bishop Marsh has shown by
actual comparison that this was not the case.
The Vatican manuscript has been repeatedly collated by various
eminent critics, from whose extracts Wetstein collected numerous
various readings : but the latest and best collation is that by Professor
Birch, of Copenhagen, in 1 78 1 . Although the antiquity of the Vatican
manuscript is indisputable 9 it is by no means, easy to determine be-
tween its comparative value and that of the Alexandrian manuscript;
nor is there any absolute and universal standard by which their
several excellencies may be estimated. With regard to the Old
Testament, if any Greek manuscript were now extant, containing an
exact copy of the several books as they were originally translated,
such manuscript would be perfect, and, consequently, the most valu-
able. The nearer any copy comes to this perfection, the more valu-
able it must be, and vice versa. In its present state the Hebrew
Text cannot determine fully the value of these MSS. in their rela-
tion to one another; and yet as that text receives great assistance
from both, it proves that both deserve our highest regard. It is
worthy of remark, that neither of them has the asterisks of Origen,
though both of them were transcribed in the fifth century; which,
Dr. Kennicott observes ] , is one proof that they were not taken
either mediately or immediately from the Hexapla. The Vatican
and Alexandrian manuscripts differ from each other in the Old Tes-
tament chiefly in this ; that, as they contain books, which have been
corrected by different persons, upon different principles ; and as they
differ greatly in some places in their interpolations, so they contain
many words which were either derived from different Greek ver-
124* Account of Greek Manuscripts, [Part I, Ch. IIL
sions, or else were translated by one or both of the transcribers
themselves from the Hebrew text, which was consulted by them at
the time of transcribing.
On the ground of its internal excellence, Michaelis preferred the
Vatican manuscript (for the New Testament) to the Codex Alcxan-
drinus. If, however, that manuscript be most respectable which
comes the nearest to Origen's Hexaplar copy of the Septuagint, the
Alexandrian manuscript seems to claim that merit in preference to
its rival : but if it be thought a matter of superior honour to approach
nearer the old Greek version, uncorrected by Origen, that merit seems
to be due to the Vatican. 1
The accompanying plate exhibits a specimen 'of the Vatican ma-
nuscript from a fac-simile traced in the year 1701* for l)r, Grabc,
editor of the celebrated edition of the SepLungint, which is noticed in
a subsequent part of this work. The author has reason to believe
that it is the most faithful funs-simile ever executed of this MS, It
was made by signer Zacagni, at that time principal keeper of the
Vatican library, and is now preserved among 'Dr. GAibu's manu-
scripts in the Bodleian library at Oxford. This tac-similc has been
most carefully and accurately copied, under the direction of the I lev*
Dr. Bandinel, the keeper of that noble repository of literature, to
whom the author now offers his acknowledgments for his kind assist-
ance on this occasion. The passage represented in our engraving
contains the first three verses of the first chapter of the prophet
Ezekiel, of which the following is a literal English version :
IEZEKIEL.
+ + +
NNOWITCAMETOPASSINTHETHIK
INTHE
TIETHYEARFOURTH
MONTHONTHEFIFTHOFTHEMONTH
WHENIWASINTHEMIDST
OFTHECAPTIVESBYTE
RIVERCHOBARAND
THEHEAVENSWEREOPENED
ANDISAWTHEVISIQNSOFGDONTHEF*
FTHOFTHEMONTHTHIs
WASTHEF1FTHYEAROFTHE
CAPTIVITYOFTHEICI
NGJOACHIM ANDCA_
METHEWORDOFTHELDTOE
ZEKIELTHESONOFBUZITHE
PR1ESTINTHELANDOFTHECHALDEE8B
YTHERIVERCHo
BARANDUPONMEWAS
THEHANDOFTHELDANDILOOKEDANDLO
AWHIRLWNDCAMEOUTOF
THENORTHANDAGREATCLOUD
WITHIT
i Sigttot Zacagni's Letter to Dr. Grabe, dated Rome/ Nov. 29. 1704, in Dr. ICotinU
cotta DiBB.ii. pp. 408 411. Michaelis, vol. ii, parti, pp. 341850. Partii. pp. 810
820. Hug's Irvtrod, to the New Test, vol, i pp, S62 372,
* -f +
i-
Koc-ra>6"re i
IpMnT
rcu HM HN e/sr MS C ou
/UXM AXOOC/XC TDT^AC f
1 2^0 N
AH6MKYTUJ
. . .
/ / / / '
' //^ ^^' //rv//'* //'t**4- fj ^
, ,
r? _:</: f/tsffa , , ///<' // ?t
f/tsf , , ///<
f /
Sect. III. 3-] Containing the Septuagint Vision. 125
No fac-sirnile edition (like that of the Alexandrian New Testament
edited by Dr. Woide, and of the Old Testament by the Rev.
H. H. Baber) has ever been executed of the precious Vatican manu-
script. During the pontificate of Pius VI. the Abate Spoletti con-
templated the publication of it, for which purpose he delivered a
memorial to the Pope. No public permission was ever given : and
though the Pontiff's private judgment was not unfavourable to the
undertaking, yet, as his indulgence would have been no security
against the vengeance of the inquisition, Spoletti was obliged to
abandon his design. 1 It is, however, but just to add, that no ob-
stacles were thrown in the way of the collation of manuscripts in the
Vatican, for Dr. Holmes's critical edition of the Septuagint version,
of which some account will be found in pp. 37? 38. of the Appendix to
this volume.
3. ACCOUNT OF MANUSCRIPTS (ENTIRE OR IN PART) CONTAINING THE
SEPTUAGINT OR GREEK VERSION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.
I. The Codex Cottonianus II. The Codex Sarravianus. IlL The
Codex Colbertinus. IV. The Codex Cczsareits, Argenteus, or Argent eo-
Purpureus. -V. The Codex Ambrosianus. VI. The Codex Coislinianus.
yjj B 'ih e Codex Basiliano-Vaticanus* VIII. The Codex Turicensis.
IT is not precisely known what number of manuscripts of the
Greek version of the Old Testament are extant. The highest num-
ber of those collated by the late Rev. Dr. Holmes, for his splendid
edition of this version, is one hundred and thirty-five. Nine of them
are described, as being written in uncial characters, and as having
furnished him with the most important of the various readings, with
which his first volume is enriched : besides these he has noticed sixty-
three others, written in cursive or small characters, and which have
likewise furnished him with various lections. Of these manuscripts
the following are more particularly worthy of notice, on account of
their rarity and value. 2
I. The CODEX COTTONIANUS is not only the most antient but the
mos't correct manuscript that is extant. It was originally brought
from Philippi by two Greek bishops, who presented it to King Henry
VIII. whom they informed that tradition reported it to have been the
identical copy, which had belonged to the celebrated Origen, who
lived in the former half of the third century. Queen Elizabeth gave
it to Sir John Fortescue, her preceptor in Greek, who, desirous of
preserving it for posterity, placed it in the Cottonian library. This
precious ^manuscript was almost destroyed by the calamitous fire
which consumed Cotton House at Westminster, in the year *17S1.
Eighteen fragments are all that now remain, and of these, both the
leaves, and consequently the writing in a just proportion, are con-
i Miohaelis, vol. ii. parti, p. 1 81., partii. pp. 644, ,645.
ft Our descriptions are chiefly abridged from Dr, Holraes's Praefatio ad Pentatouchum,
cap. ii. prefixed to the iirst volume of his critical edition of the Septuagint version pub-
lished at Oxford, in 1798, folio.
126 Account of Manuscripts [Part L Ch. III.
tracted into a less compass ; so that what were large are now small capi-
tals. These fragments are at present deposited in the British Museum. 1
In its original state,, the Codex Cottonianus contained one hundred
and sixty-five leaves, in the quarto size ; it is written on vellum, in
uncial characters, the line running along the whole width of the page,
and each line consisting, in general, of twenty-seven, rarely of thirty
letters. These letters are almost every where of the same length,
excepting that at the end of a line they are occasionally somewhat
less, and in some instances are interlined or written over. the line.
Like all other very an-tient manuscripts, it has no accents or spirits,
nor anv distinction of words fl verses, or chapters* The words are,
for the" most part, written at full length, witMhe^ceptipn^of the
well known and frequent abbreviations of KC, KN, C, N, for
Kwpioff and Kupwv, Lord, and *o? 9 wv, God. ^ Certain consonants^
vowels, and diphthongs are also interchanged. 2 The coherence of
the Greek Text is very close, except where it is divided by the inter-
position of the very curious paintings or illuminations with which this
manuscript is decorated. These pictures vere two hundred and fifty
In number, and consist of compositions within .square frames, of one
or of several figure^ in general not exceeding two inches in height;
and these frames, which are four inches square, ^^itesionally di-
vided into two compartments, The heads are perbtips.ljpo large, but
the attitudes and draperies have considerable merit: am they are by
competent judges preferred to the miniatures that adorn the Vienna
manuscript, which is noticed in pp. 128, 129. infra. Twenty-one
fragments of these illuminations were engraved, in 1 744, on two large
folio plates, at the expense of the Society of Antiquaries of London.
It is observed by Mr. PI an la, the present principal librarian of the
British Museum, that more fragments must have been preserved
than the eighteen which now remain ; because none of those en-
graved are now to be met with, ;l On an examination of the Codex
Cottonianusj with a view to take a flic-simile of some one of its frag-
ments for this wqj^Lj&ey were fouqd in a nearly pulverised and car-
bonised state, so'&at BO aecer&te'copy could be mncle. The annexed
engraving therefore is copM from that of the Antiquarian Society, 4
The subjeqt on tlfe ri,g!i^fiand o*WW& II. is Jacob delivering his son
Benjamin to his f brethren, that tliey may go a second tfnie into Egypt,
and buy corn for himself and his fifmily. The passage of Genesis,
which it is intended! to illustrate* .ja^.ttliii* 1% 14., of which the
following is a representation ^.^ff^^&eek charater$ j the words
o. . . *, , *f>T, -": , Msf'-'^r jfflT JEfc'i '
preserved being in capital letters, ., - ^ ~
1 Catalogue Bibliothecse Cpt^J$i58e, p. 865, (folio, 1802.) ' CJar^ >, Catalog Me of
MSS. in the King's library, pp. felix. , ( ?,.. ' ,' '*
2 These permutations were a fruitful flpoftA 4$" '^ors m tpanu$cr%t& Som0 irtetances
of them are given infra, Chap. V, HE ,, '/' ' "* ' .
s Catalogus Bibliothecse Cottoniana?, p. 36^5, , ,
* Vetusta Monumenta, quse ad Rerum Britannicarum Meitioriam Conservandam
Societas Antiquariorum sunnptu suo edenda 'curavit. Londini, 1747, folio, tern, i. PI.
No. VI. etVIL
Sect. III. 3.] Containing the Septuagint Version. 127
KAITONAAEAfcONTMOi/ Xa/Sere y.ai ava
2TANTE2KATABHTEHP02 T
TIONTOTAN@PnnOT'KAI
AAEA^ONTMONTON eW teat rwT&wt
AMEIN-ErOMENrAPKAea^ 4 row
MAIHTEKNaMAI.
In English, thus :
ALSOYOURBROTHER take, and a
RISEGOAGAINUNTOthe ma
N-ANDMAYC3DGIVE you favour be
FORETHEMANTHAT he may send back
YOURBROTHER and Benj
AMIN-ASFORMEAS I have been be
REAVEDOFCH1LDRENIAM bereaved.
The subject on the left-hand of the same plate is Joseph's interview
with his brethren in his own house, on their return into Egypt. It
illustrates Genesis xliii. 30, 31., and is as follows :
TPEMTOFAPTAENTEPA
EI2EAONAEEI2TOTAMEIov
ENEKEI-KAINI^AMENOSTO vpoo-unov
TlapaSfsrs
In English, thus :
And Joseph was discomposed'
FORhisBOWELSYEARNED
TOWARDSHISBROTHER-ANDheSOUGht where to weep-
ANDENTERINGINTOHlSCHAMBer, he we
PTTHERE-ANDWHENHEHADWASHED his face, and
cOMEFORTHHERESTRAINED himself- and said
set on bread.
The larger Greek characters at the foot of Plate I. are copied from
the third plate of Mr. Astle's work on the Origin of Writing : they
exhibit the four first words of Gen* xiv, 17. of the same size as in the
Codex Cottonianus Genesecos, before the calamitous fire above no-
ticed. The loss of the consumed parts of this precious manuscript
would have been irreparable, had not extracts of its various read-
ings been made by different learned men, which have been pre-
served to the present time. Thus the collations of it by Archbishop
Usher and Patrick Young, in the middle of the seventeenth century,
are printed in the sixth volume of Bishop Walton's Polyglott Edition
of the Bible. Archbishop Usher's autograph collation is deposited
in the Bodleian Library, among the other MSS. of that distinguished
prelate. The principal various readings, noted by Dr. Gale 3 towards
the close of the same century, are entered in the margin of an Aldine
edition of the Greek Version, which subsequently belonged to die
128 * Account of Manuscripts [Part I. Ch. III.
late Dr. Kennicott. But the most valuable collation is that made in
the year 1 703, by Dr. Grabe, who was deeply skilled in palaeography,
and bequeathed by him to the Bodleian Library, whence the late
Rev. Dr. Owen published it at London, in 1778, in an octavo volume,
Dr. Holmes has chiefly followed Grabe's extract of various readings,
in his critical edition of the Septuagint, but he has occasionally
availed himself of Archbishop Usher's collation. l
The Codex Cottonianus is the most antient manuscript of any part
of the Old Testament that is extant. It is acknowledged to have
been written towards the end of the fourth, or in the beginning of the
Jifth century ; and it seldom agrees with any manuscript or printed
edition, except the Codex Alexandrinus, which has been described
in pp. 116 122. of the present volume. There are, according to
Dr. Holmes, at least twenty instances in which this manuscript ex-
presses the meaning of the original Hebrew more accurately than
any other exemplars.
II. III. The Codices SARRAVIANUS (now in the Public Library
of the Academy at Leyden), and COLBERTINUS, (formerly numbered
3084. among the Colbert MSS., but at present deposited in the Royal
Library at Paris,) are distinct parts of the same manuscript, and con-
tain the Pentateuch, and the books of Joshua and Judges. The
Codex Sarravianus is defective in those very leaves, viz. seven in
Exodus, thirteen in Leviticus, and two in Numbers, which are found
in the Colbertine manuscript; the writing of which, as well as the
texture of the vellum, and other peculiarities, agree so closely with
those of the Codex Sarravianus, as to demonstrate their perfect
identity. These manuscripts are neatly written on thin vellum, in
uncial letters, with which some round characters are intermixed, the
ink of which is beginning to turn yellow. The contractions or
abbreviations, permutations of letters, &c. are the same which are
found in the Codex Cottonianus. These two Codices, as they are
termed, may be referred to the fifth or sixth century. To some
paragraphs of the book of Leviticus, titles or heads have been pre-
fixed, evidently by a later hand.
IV. The CODEX GZESAKEUS (which is also frequently called the
CODEX ARGENTEUS, and CODEX ARGENTEO-PURPUREUS, because
it is written in silver letters on purple velhim,) is preserved in the
Imperial Library at Vienna. The letters are beautiful but thick,
partly round and partly square. In size, it approximates to the quarto
form : it consists of twenty-six leaves only, the first twenty-four of
which contain a fragment of the book of Genesis, viz. from chapter
iii. 4. to chap, viiit 24. : the two last contain a fragment of St. Luke's
Gospel, viz. chapter xxiv. verses 21 49. In Wetstein's critical
edition of the Greek New Testament, these two leaves are denoted
by the letter N. The first twenty-four leaves are ornamented with
1 Another collation was made by the eminent critic, Crusius, who highly commended
the Codex Cottonianus in two dissertations published by him at Gottingen in 1744 and
1745. Crusius's collation subsequently foil into the hands of JBreitinger, the editor of the
beautiful edition of the Septuagint published at Zurich in 17301733, It is not at pre-
sent known what has become of this collation.
Sect. III. 3.] Containing the Septuagint Version. 129
forty-eight curious miniature paintings, which Lambecius refers to the
age of Constantine; but, from the shape of the letters, this manuscript
is rather to be assigned to the end of the fifth or the beginning of the
sixth century. In these pictures, the divine prescience and providence
are represented by a hand proceeding out of a cloud : and they ex-
hibit interesting specimens of the habits, customs, and amusements of
those early times. 1 From the occurrence of the words XITQW&$ (Kitonas)
instead of xirwvas (cuitonas), and A(3ifj,s\sx (AbimeleK) instead of
Aflipetex (AbimeleCH\ Dr. Holmes is of opinion that this manuscript
was written by dictation. Vowels, consonants. Sec. are interchanged in
the same manner as in the Coclex Cottonianus, and similar abbre-
viations are likewise found in it. In some of its readings the Codex
Csesareus resembles the Alexandrian manuscript. In his letter to the
Bishop of Durham, published in 1795, and containing a specimen of
his proposed new edition of the Septuagint version with various lec-
tions 2 , Dr. Holmes printed the entire text of this MS. which had
been collated and revised for him by Professor Alter, of Vienna ; and
he also gave an engraved fac-simile of the whole of its seventh page.
From this fac-simile our specimen is copied in Plate 5. No. 2. It is
the seventeenth verse of the fourteenth chapter of the book of Genesis,
and runs thus in ordinary Greek characters.
ANTHSINATTflMETATOANASTPE^AJATTO
AnOTH2KOnH2TONBA2IAEQN-EI2THN
KOIAAAATHN2ATH :
In English, thus, as nearly as the idiom of our language will allow :
ANDTHEKINGOFSODOMWENTOUT-TOME
ETHIMAFTERHISRETURN
FROMTHESLAUGHTEROFTHEKINGS-TOTHE
VALLEYOFSAVE:
V. The CODEX AMBROSIANUS derives its name from the Ambrosian
Library at Milan, where it is preserved : it is probably as old as the
seventh century, This manuscript is a large square quarto (by Mont-
faucori erroneously termed a folio), written in three columns in a
i The whole forty-eight embellishments are engraven in the third volume of Lam-
beciu&'s Commcntarioruin de augustissima bibliotheca Cffisarea-Viudobonensi, libriviiL
(Vindobonffi, 1GG3 1G79, folio, S vols.) They are also republkhed in Ncssclius's Bre-
viarum ct Supplementum Commentariorum Bibliothecse Caesarese-Vindohonensis (Vindo*
bonze, 6 parts, in 2 vols. folio), vol.i. pp.55 102. : and again in the third book or volume
of Kollarius's second edition of Lambecius's Commentarii (Vindobonaj, 1766 1782,
8 vols. folio). Montfaucon'h fac-simile of ihe characters (Palaeographia Grseca, p, 194.)
has been made familiar to English readers by a portion of it, which has been copied by Mr.
Astle (on the Origin of Writing, plate iii. p. 70.) : but his engraver is said by Dr. Bib-
din (Bibliographical Decameron, vol. i. p. xliv.) to have deviated from the original, and
to have executed the fac-simile in too heavy a manner. Dr. D has himself given a most
beautiful foe simile of one of the pictures of this MS. in the third volume of his Biblio-
graphical and Antiquarian Tour in France and Germany.
a Honorabili et admodum Reverendo, Shute Barrington, LL. D. Episcopo Dunelm-
ensi, Epistola, complexa Geneain ex Codice Purpureo-Argenteo Caesareo-Vindobonensi
cxpressam, et Testament! Veteris Grffici, Versionia Septuaginta-viralis cum Variis Lec-
tionibus denuo cdendi, Specimen. Dedit Robertus Holmes, S. T.-F. e Collegio Novo,
ct nuperrime Publicusiu Academia Oxoniensi Poetices Prselector. Oxonii, MDCCXGV.
folio.
VOL. II.
130 Account of Manuscripts [Part I. Ch. III.
round uncial character. The accents and spirits however have evi-
dently been added by a later hand,
VI. The CODEX COISLINIANUS originally belonged to M. Seguier,
Chancellor of France in the middle of the seventeenth century, a
munificent collector of biblical manuscripts, from whom it passed, by
hereditary succession, to the Due de Coislin. From his library it
was transferred into that of the monastery of Saint Germain-Des-Prez,
and thence into the Royal Library at Paris, where it now is. Ac-
cording to Montfaucon, by whom it is particularly described 1 9 it is
in quarto, and was written in a beautiful round uncial character, in
the sixth} or at the latest in the seventh century. But the accents and
spirits have been added by a comparatively recent hand. It consists of
two hundred and twenty-six leaves of vellum, and formerly contained
the octateuch) (that is the five books of Moses, and those of Joshua,
Judges, and Ruth,) the two books of Samuel and the two books of
Kings; but it is now considerably mutilated by the injuries of time.
The copyist was totally ignorant of Hebrew, as is evident from the
following inscription., which he has placed at the beginning of the
book of Genesis : Bagvj<re$ Traga Ej3gaioj, oTsg eoriv EJU.VHLJO/JC,EVOV,
Aoyot vipegtov, that is, Baprjo-g^ in Hebrew^ which being interpreted is
(or means) the Words of Days, or the history of the days, i.e the history
of the six days' work of creation. This word Ba^crsS (Bareseth] is
no other than the Hebrew word rVEWID (B^RESHITH) in the begin-
nings which is the first word in the book of Genesis, Montfaucon
further observed that this manuscript contained readings very similar
to those of the Codex Alexandrinus ; and his remark is confirmed by
Dr. Holmes, so far as respects the Pentateuch.
VII. The CODEX BASILIANO- VATICAN us is the last of the MSS.
in uncial characters collated by Dr. H. It formerly belonged to a
monastery in ^Calabria, whence it was transferred by Pietro Memniti,
superior of the monks of the order of Saint Basil at Rome into the
library of his monastery ; and thence it passed into the papal library
of the Vatican, where it is now numbered 2,106. It is written on
vellum, in oblong leaning uncial characters j and according to Mont-
faucon was executed in the ninth century. Dr. Holmes considers it
to be a manuscript of considerable value and importance, which,
though in many respects it corresponds with the other MSS. collated
by him, yet contains some valuable lections which are no where
else to be found. On this account it is to be regretted that the Codex
Basiliano-Vaticanus is imperfect both at the beginning and end.
VIIL The CODEX TURICENSIS is numbered 262 in Mr. Parson's
catalogue of MSS. collated for the book of Psalms, in his continu-
ation of the magnificent edition of the Septuagint commenced by the
late Rev. Dr. Holmes. It is a quarto manuscript of the book of
Psalms, the writing of which proves it to have been executed at least
in the eleventh century, if not much earlier; and consists of two hun-
dred and twenty-two leaves of extremely thin purple vellum ; and the
silver characters and golden initial letters are in many parts so de-
* Bibliotheca Coisliniana, olira Seguieriana, folio, Paris, 17S2 t
Sect, III. 4-.] Containing the New Testament. 131
cayed by the consuming hand of time, as to be with difficulty legible.
The portions of the psalms wanting in this MS. are Psal. i. xxv. ;
xxx. 1. xxxvi. 20.; xli. 5. xliii. 2.; Iviii. 13. lix. 4. ; Ixiv. II.
Ixxi. 4. ; xcii. 3. xciii. 7. ; and xcvi. 12. xcvii. 8. Several of the
antient ecclesiastical hymns, which form part of this MS., are also
mutilated. It is, however, consolatory to know that those portions
of the psalms which are deficient in the Codices Alexandrinus and
Vaticanus, may be supplied from the Codex Turicensis l : and this
circumstance, it should seem, occasioned the generally accurate
traveller, Mr. Coxe (whose error has been implicitly copied by suc-
ceeding writers) to state that the MS. here described once formed
part of the Codex Vaticanus. 2
4. ACCOUNT OF THE PRINCIPAL MANUSCRIPTS CONTAINING THE NEW
TESTAMENT ENTIRE OR IN PART.
L The Codex Cottonianus. (Titus C. KV.) II. The Codex Bezce, or Can-
tabrigiensis. III. The Codex Ephremi. IV. The Codex Claromon-
tamis. V. The Codex Argenteus. MSS. of the Gothic Version dis-
covered by signor Mai. VI. The Codex Rescript us of St. Mat-
thew's Gospel in Trinity College, Dublin* VII. The Codex Lau-
dianus, 3. VIII. The Codex Coislinianus. IX. The Codex Boerne-
rianus. X. The Codex Cyprius. XL The Codex Basileensis E.
XII. The Codex San-Gerrnanensis. XIII. The Codex Augiensis.
XIV. The Codex Harleianus, 5598. XV. The Codex Regius or Ste-
phanityXVL The Codex Uffenbachianus* XVII. The Codices
Manners- SuttorrianL XVIJI. The Codices Mosquenses. XIX. The
Codex Bnxiensis. XX. Other MSS. written in small characters and
deserving of especial notice, viz. 1. The Codex Basileensis, 1. 2* The
Codex Berolinensis. 3. The Codex Corsendoncensis. 4. TJie Codex
Montfortianus. 5. The Codex Meermanniamis. 6. The Codex Re-
gius, 50. 7. The Codex Leicestrensis. 8. The Codex Vindobonensis,
9. The Codex Ebnerianus. 10. The Codex Ottobonianus. XXI. No-
tice of the Collations of the Barberini and Velesian Manuscripts.
THE autographs, or manuscripts of the New Testament, which
were written either by the apostles themselves, or by amanuenses
under their immediate inspection 3 , have long since perished; and
we have no information whatever concerning their history. The
pretended autograph of St. Mark's Gospel at Venice is now known
to be nothing more than a copy of the Latin version 4 , and no exist-
ing manuscripts of the New Testament can be traced higher than
the fourth century ; and most of them are of still later date. Some
contain the whole of the New Testament; others comprise particular
1 The preceding description of the Codex Turicensis is abridged from Professor Brei-
tingor's scarce tract, addressed to Cardinal Quirini, and intitled " De antiquissimo
Turicensis Bibliolhccae Greeco Psalmorum Libro, Epistola. TuriqL 1748," 4to.
2 See Coxe's Travels in Switzerland, in Pinkerton's Collection of Voyages and Tra-
vels, vol. vi. p. 672. 4to.
3 Saint Paul dictated most of his epistles to amanuenses ; but, to prevent the circulation
of spurious letters, he wrote the concluding benediction with his own hand, Compare
Rom. xvi. 22, Gal. vi, 11. and 2 Thess, iii. 17, 18. with 1 Qor.xvi. 21.
4 See Vol. IV, Part II. Ch. II. Sect. Ill, V. infra.
K 2
1 32 Account of the Principal Manuscripts [Part I. Ch. III.
books or fragments of books ; and there are several \vhich contain,
not whole books arranged according to their usual order, but de-
tached portions or lessons (avayvoxreij), appointed to be read on cer-
tain days in the public service of the Christian church; from which
again whole books have been put together. These are called Lee-
tionaria^ and are of two sorts: 1. Evangeli$teria> containing lessons
from the four Gospels; am1 3 2. Apostolos^ comprising lessons from
the Acts and Epistles, and sometimes only the Epistles themselves.
When a manuscript contains both parts, Michaelis says that it is
called Apostolo-Evangdion. Forty-six Evangel isleria were collated
by Griesbach for the'fouv Gospels of his edition of the New Testa-
ment ; and seven Lectionaria or Apostoli, for the Acts and Epistles. 1
Some manuscripts, again, have not only the Greek text, but are ac-
companied with a version, which is either interlined, or in a parallel
column ; these are called Codices Bilingues. The greatest number
is in Greek and Latin ; and the Latin version is, in general, one of
those which existed before the time of Jerome. As there are extant
Syriac-Arabic and Gothic-Latin manuscripts, Midbaelis thinks it
probable that there formerly existed Greek-Syriac, Greek-Gothic,
and other manuscripts of that kind, in wMcK the original and some
version were written together, 2 Wherf a tf|nsiriber, to slea d of
copying from one and the same antien* nwracnpt? selects from
several those readings, which appear to him* to be the best, the
manuscript so transcribed is termed a Codex Criticus. ^ ^
Besides the Alexandrian and Vatican manuscMp^f wlMch have
been already described, the following are the principal manuscripts
of the New Testament, of every description, which are more peculi-
arly worthy of notice.
I. The CODEX COTTONIANUS (Titus C. XV.), pre&ervf tt in the
Cottonian Library in the British Museum, is a most preefcus frag-
ment of the four Gospels, written in silver letters, on a faded purple
ground. It is one of the oldest (if not the most antient) manuscript
of any part of the New Testament that iStextenttf and contains^
JU) Part of Saint Matthew's Gospel, beginning at Chapter XXVI. v. 57-
ending with v. 65- of the same Chapter.
(2.) Part of the same Gospel, beginning at Chapter XXVII. v.26. and
ending with v. 34<. of the same Chapter.
(3.) Part of Saint John's Gospel, beginning at Chapter XIV. v. 2, and
ending with v. 10. of the same Chapter.
(4.) Part of the same Gospel, beginning at Chapter XV, v. 15. and
ending with v. 22. of the same Chapter.
In the accompanying Plate 3. No. 1. we have given a fac-simile
of John xiv. 6. from this manuscript, of which the following is a
J Griesbach, Proleg, ad Nov. Test. torn, i, pp, cxix.. cxxii. In the second volume
of his Symbolas Criiicae, (pp. 3 30. i Dr. G. has described eleven important Evange-
listeria, which had either been not collated before, or were newly examined and collated
by himself. Michaelis, vol. ii. parti, pp.161 103. part ii. 639, 640, The Rev. Dr.
Dibdin has described a superb Evangelisturium, and has given fac-simiU'S of its ornaments,
in the first volume of his Bibliographical Decameron, pp. xcii. xciv. This precious
manuscript is supposed to have been written at the close of the eleventh, or early in the
thirteenth century. The illuminations are executed with singular beauty and delicacy.
s Introduction to the New Test. vol. ii. part. i. p. 164,
OWNFICTONKOA
r*>
6lMHXl6MOr
. GftAe Code,
Sect. III. 4.] Containing the New Testament. 1 33
representation in ordinary Greek characters, with the corresponding
literal English version.
AErEurroois SAITHUNTOHIMJS
EFIiEIMEIHO IAMTHEW
A02KAIHAAH AYANDTHETRU
01 AK ATHZmi TH ANDTHELIFE
OTAlSEPXETAi NOMANCOMExH
UNTOTHEFTHR
EIMHAIEMOr BUTBYME
The words 1H20TS (Jesus), @E02 (God), KTPIO2 (Lord),
TIOS (Son), and 2&THP (Saviour), are written in letters of gold;
the three first with contractions similar to those in the Codex Alex-
andrinusj and Codex Bezse. This precious fragment is acknowledged
to have been executed at the end of the fourth, or at the latest in
the beginning of the fifth century.
II. The CODEX BEZ;E, also called the CODEX CANTABRTGIENSIS,
is a Greek and Latin manuscript, containing the four Gospels and
the Acts of the Apostles. It is deposited in the public library of the
university of Cambridge, to which it was presented by the celebrated
Theodore Beza, in the year 1581. Of this manuscript which is
written on vellum, in quarto, without accents or marks of aspiration,
or spaces between the words, the accompanying fac-simile will con-
vey an idea. It represents the first three verses of the fifth chapter
of Saint Matthew's Gospel, which are copied from Dr. Kipling's fac-
simile edition of the Codex Beza?, published at Cambridge in J793,
of which an account is given in pp. 20, 21. of the Appendix to this
volume. We have placed the Latin under the Greek, in order to
bring the whole within the compass of an octavo page. The follow-
ing is a literal English version of this fac-simile.
Matt. V. 1 3.
ANDSEEINGTHEMULTITUDESI-IEWENTUPINTOAMOUNTAIN
ANDWHENHEWASSETDOWN-CAMETOH1M
HISDISCIPLES'ANDOPEMNGHISMOUTH
HETAUGHTTHEMSAY1NG
_ t
BLESSED^flETHEPOORiNSPT:FORTHEIRSIS
THEK1NGDOMOFHEAVEN.
Sixty-six leaves of this manuscript are much torn arid mutilated,
ten of them have been supplied by a later transcriber.
The Codex Bezse is noted with the letter D. by Wetstein and
Griesbach. In the Greek it is defective, from the beginning to
Matt i. 20., and in the Latin to Matt. i. 12. In the Latin it has
likewise the following chasms, viz. Matt. vi. 20. ix. 2. ; Matt, xxvii.
1 12.; John i. 16. ii. 26.; Acts viil 29- x. 14.; xxii. 10 20.;
f Contracted for SPIRIT. The Greek is HNI, TINETMATT; and the Latin Sru, for
SFIIIITU.
K 3
134? Account oftJie Principal Manuscripts [Part I. Ch. III.
and from xxii. 29. to the end. The Gospels are arranged in the
usual order of the Latin manuscripts, Matthew, John, Luke, Mark,
It has a considerable number of corrections, some of which have
been noticed by Dr. Griesbach; and some of the pages, containing
Matt. iii. 8 16. John xviii. 13. xx. 13. and Markxv. to the end,
are written by a later hand, which Wetstein refers to the tenth cen-
tury, but Griesbach to the twelfth. The Latin version is that which
was in use before the time of Jerome, and is usually called the Old
Italic or Ante-Hieronymian version. In the margin of the Greek
part of the manuscript there are inserted the Ammonian sections,
evidently by a later hand ; and the words apxy> reXog, xai Asrys, cotis
G-1yxe, are occasionally interspersed, indicating the beginning and end
of the Avayvwo-^oira, or lessons read in the church. The subjects
discussed in the Gospels are sometimes written in the margin, some-
times at ihe top of the page. But all these notations are manifestly
the work of several persons and of different ages. The date of this
manuscript has been much contested. Those critics who give it
the least antiquity, assign it to the sixth or seventh century. Wet-
stein supposed it to be of the fifth century. Michaelis was of opi-
nion, that of all the manuscripts now extant, this is the moat antient.
Dr. Kipling, the editor of the Cambridge fac-simile, thought it much
older than the Alexandrian manuscript, and that it must have been
written in the second century. On comparing it with Greek inscrip-
tions of different ages, Bishop Marsh is of opinion that it cannot
have been written later than the sixth century, and that it may have
been written even two or three centuries earlier : and he finally con-
siders it prior to all the manuscripts extant, except the Codex Vati-
canus, and refers it to the fifth century, which, perhaps, is the true date,
if an opinion may be hazarded where so much uncertainty prevails.
Wetstein was of opinion, from eleven coincidences which he
thought he had discovei*ed, that this was the identical manuscript
collated at Alexandria in 616, for the Philoxenian or later Syriac
version of the New Testament ; but this is a groundless supposition.
It is, however, worthy of remark, that many of the readings by which
the Codex Bezse is distinguished are found in the Syriac, Coptic,
Sahidic, and in the margin of the Philoxenian- Syriac version. As
the readings of this manuscript frequently agree with the Latin ver-
sions before the time of St. Jerome, and with the Vulgate or present
Latin translation, Wetstein was of opinion that the Greek text was
altered from the Latin version, or, in other words, that the writer of
the Codex Bezae departed from the lections of the Greek manuscript
or manuscripts whence he copied, and introduced in their stead,
from some Latin version, readings which were warranted by no
Greek manuscript. This charge Sender, Michaelis, Griesbach, and
Bishop Marsh have endeavoured to refute ; and their verdict has
been generally received, Matthaei, however, revived the charge of
Wetstein, and considered the text as extremely corrupt, and sus-
pected that some Latin monk, who was but indifierently skilled in
Greek, wrote in the margin of his New Testament various passages
from the Greek and Latin fathers, which seemed to refer to parti-
Sect. III. 4.] Containing the New Testament. 135
cular passages. He further thought that this monk had noted the
differences occurring in some Greek and Latin manuscripts of the
New Testament, and added parallel passages of Scripture : and that
from this farrago either the monk himself, or some other person,
manufactured his text (whether foolishly or fraudulently is uncertain),
of which the Codex Bezse is a copy. But this suspicion of Matthaei
has been little regarded in Germany 5 where he incurred the anti-
pathy of the most eminent biblical critics, by vilifying the sources of
various readings from which he had it not in his power to draw,
when he began to publish his edition of the New Testament ; giving
to the Codex Bezse, the Codex Claromontanus (noticed in pp. 1 37,
138. infra\ and other manuscripts of unquestionable antiquity, the
appellation of Editio Scurrilis. l Bishop Middleton considers the judg-
ment of Michaelis as approximating very near to the truth, and has
given a collation of numerous passages of the received text with the
Codex Bezae ; and the result of his examination, which does not
admit of abridgment, is, that the Codex Bezag, though a most vener-
able remain of antiquity, is not to be considered, in a critical view,
as of much authority. He accounts for the goodness of its readings,
considered with regard to the sen.se.> by the natural supposition of the
great antiquity of the manuscript, which was the basis of the Codex
Bezas ; but while its latinising is admitted, he contends that we have
no reason to infer that its readings, considered in the same light, are
therefore faulty. The learned prelate concludes with subscribing
to the opinion of Matthsei somewhat modified. He believes that no
fraud was intended ; but only that the critical possessor of the basis
filled its margin with glosses and readings chiefly from the Latin,
being a Christian of the Western Church ; and that the whole col-
lection of Latin passages was translated into Greek, and substituted
in the text by some one who had a high opinion of their value, and
who was better skilled in caligraphy than in the Greek and Latin
languages. 2 The arguments and evidences adduced by Bishop Mid-
dleton, we believe, are by many, at least in England, considered so
conclusive, that, though the antiquity of the manuscript is fully ad-
mitted, yet it must be deemed a latinising manuscript, and, conse-
quently, is of comparatively little critical value.
At- the time Beza presented this manuscript to the university of
Carnbridge, it had been in his possession about nineteen years ; and
in his letter to that learned body he says, that it was found in the
monastery of Saint Irenaeus at Lyons, where it had lain concealed
for a long time. But how it came there, and in what place it was
written, are questions concerning which nothing certain is known.
The most generally received opinion is, that it was written in the
west of Europe.
The Cambridge manuscript has been repeatedly collated by criti-
cal editors of the New Testament. Robert Stephens made extracts
from it, though with no great accuracy, under the title of Codex /3,
for his edition of the Greek Testament, of 1550 ; as Beza also did
1 Bp, Marsh's Lectures, partii. pp, 30, 3K
2 Bishop Middleton on the Greek Article, pp. 677 398,, first edition.
K 4*
3 26 Account of the principal Manuscripts [Part I. Ch. lH.
for his own edition published in 1582. Since it was sent to the uni-
versity of Cambridge, it has been more accurately collated by Junius,
whose extracts were used by Curcellaeus and Father Morin. A fourth
and more accurate collation of it was made, at the instigation of
Archbishop Usher, and the extracts were inserted in the sixth vo-
lume of the London Polyglott, edited by Bishop Walton. Dr. Mill
collated it a fifth and sixth time ; but that his extracts are frequently
defective, and sometimes erroneous, appears from comparing them
with Wetstein's New Testament, and from a new collation which was
made, about the year 1733, by Mr. Dickenson of Saint John's Col-
lege ; which is now preserved in the library of Jesus' College, where
it is marked O, 0, 2. Wetstein's extracts are also very incor-
rect, as appears from comparing them with the manuscript itself. 1
A splendid fac-simile of the Codex Bezse was published by the
Rev. Dr. Kipling at Cambridge, under the patronage and at the
expense of the university, in 1793, in 2 vols. atlas folio. Dr. Har-
wood regulated the text of the Gospels and Acts, in his edition of the
Greek Testament, chiefly according to the readings of the Codex
Bezse ; which was so highly valued by the learned but eccentric
divine, Winston, that in his 4 Primitive New Testament in English/*
(Svo. Stamford and London, 1745,) he has translated the four Gos-
pels and Acts literally from this manuscript. Dr. A, Clarke, in his
Commentary on the New'Testament, has paid very particular atten-
tion to the readings of the Codex Bezae.
III. The CODEX EPHREMI, or CODEX REGIUS, 1905., (at present
9.) by Wetstein and Griesbach noted with the letter C., is an in-
valuable Coclex Rescriptus, written on vellum, and is of very high
antiquity. The first part of this manuscript contains several Greek
works of Ephrem the Syrian, written over some more antient writ-
ings which had been erased, though the traces are still visible, and
in most places legible. These more antient writings were the entire
Greek Bible. In the New Testament, there are very numerous
chasms, which are specified by Wetstein, from whom they have
been copied by Michaelis and Griesbach. The text is not divided
into columns; the uncial characters are larger than those of the
Codex Alexandrinus, without accents, and the words are not di-
vided. There are large initial letters at the beginning of each sec-
tion; and the text is sometimes divided into articles, not much
larger than our verses. A small cross indicates the end of a divi-
sion ; a full point below a letter is equivalent to a comma, and in
the middle to a semi-colon. The Gospels follow the divisons of
Ammonius, and also have the -H-rAo*, dprimd manu ; the sections of
the epistles sometimes agree with the avayvw(rei$ or lessons occurring
in the MSS. which are known to have been written in Egypt. The
titles and subscriptions to the several books are very brief, without
any of the additions which are sometimes found in the Codex Alex-
andnnus. The Coclex Ephrem i exhibits the text of the Alexan-
1 Millii Prolegomena, 1268 1273. Gricubach, Symbols) Critics;, torn, i. pp.lv.
Ixiv. Michaelis, vol. iii. parti, pp.228 242. and partii. pp, 679 721. Hug's
Introd. vol. i. pp. 275 278,
Sect. III. 4-.] Containing the Ne^> Testament. 137
drine Recension in its greatest purity, and numerous other indi-
cations of its Egyptian origin. In this manuscript the disputed verse,
John v. 4., is written, not in the text 5 but as a marginal scholion.
Wetstein conjectured, that this was one of the manuscripts that were
collated at Alexandria in 616 with the new Syriac version; but of
this there is no evidence. From a marginal note to Heb. viii. 7. the
same critic also argued, that it was written before the institution of
the feast of the Virgin Mary ; that is, before the year 542. But his
arguments are not considered as wholly decisive by Michaelis, who
only asserts its great antiquity in general terms. Bishop Marsh
pronounces it to be at least as antient as the seventh century; and Pro-
fessor Hug considers it to be even older than the Codex Alexan-
drinus. The readings of the Codex Ephremi, like those of all other
very antient manuscripts, are in favour of the Latin ; but there is no sa-
tisfactory evidence that it has been corrupted from the Latin version.
It has been altered by a critical collator, who, according to Gries-
bach, must have lived many years after the time when the manuscript
was written, and who probably erased many of the antient readings.
Kuster was the first who procured extracts from this manuscript for
his edition of Dr. Mill's Greek Testament. Wetstein has collated
it with very great accuracy; and the numerous readings he has
quoted from it greatly enhance the value of his edition. 1
IV. The CODEX CLAROMONTANUS, or REGIUS 2245., is a Greek-
Latin manuscript of St. Paul's Epistles, found in the monastery of
Clermont, in the diocese of Beauvais, and used by Beza, together
with the Codex Cantabrigiensis, in preparing his edition of the New
Testament. It follows the Western Recension, and is noted JD. by
Wetstein and Griesbach in the second volumes of their respective
editions of the Greek Testament. Sabatier supposes it to have been
written in the sixth century ; Montfaucon places it in the seventh
century; Griesbach thinks it was written in the sixth or seventh
century, and Hug, in the eighth century. This manuscript is writ-
ten on vellum in uncial characters, and with accents and marks of
aspiration added by another hand, but of great antiquity. As it
contains the Epistle to the Hebrews, which has been added by a
later hand, it is supposed to have been written in the west of Europe*
Dr. Mill contended that the Codex Claromontanus was the second
part of the Codex Bezoe; but this opinion has been confuted by
Wetstein, who has shown that the former is by no means connected
with the latter, as appears from the difference of their form> their
orthography, and the nature of the vellum on which they are written*
Bishop Marsh adds, on the authority of a gentleman who had exa-
mined both manuscripts, that the Codex Claromontanus contains only
twenty-one lines in each page, while the Cambridge manuscript con^
tains thirty-three lines in a page ; the abbreviations in the two maim-*
1 ^Wetstcnii Nov. Test, torn, i, Proleg. pp. 27, 28. Grresbach's Symb. Grit. torn. I*
pp. I Uv, and Nov. Test, torn, i, pp. ci. cii. Micbaelis, vol. ii. part i. pp. 258 2GO<
pan ii. pp. 787, 738. Hug's Introduction, vol. i. pp. 271273. See also the Palrco-.
graphia Gneca of Montfaucon (pp. 213, 214.) who has given a fac-siraile of this man IN
script, which Professor I Jug says is not equal to the elegance of this codex.
138 Account of the principal Manuscripts [Parti. Ch. III.
scripts are also different. The Codex Claromontanus, like other
Greek-Latin manuscripts, has been accused of having a Greek Text,
that has been altered from the Latin; but this charge has been satis-
factorily refuted by Dr. Semler. The migrations of this manuscript
are somewhat remarkable. From the hands of Beza it went into
the Putean library, which derived its name from the family of De
Puy. Jacques De Puy, who was librarian to the king of France,
and died in 1656, bequeathed it, together with his other manuscripts,
to the Royal Library at Paris, where it is now preserved, and at pre-
sent is marked 107. According to the accounts of Wetstein and
Sabatier, thirty-six leaves were cut out of it at the beginning of the
last century, (it is supposed by John Aymon, a notorious literary
thief of that time,) and were sold in England; but they were sent
back by the Earl of Oxford in 1729. The manuscript, therefore, is
once more complete, as the covering only is wanting in which the
stolen sheets had been enclosed, which is kept in the British Mu-
seum, and filled with the letters that passed on the occasion, as a
monument of this infamous theft. 1
V. The CODEX ARGENTEUS is a manuscript containing the four
Gospels, in the Gothic version of Ulphilas' 2 , which is preserved in
the university of UpsaL It is written on vellum, and has received
the name of Argenteus from its silver letters; it is of a quarto
size, and the vellum leaves are stained with a violet colour ; and on
this ground the letters, which are all uncial or capitals, were aftei'-
wards painted in silver, except the initial characters and a few other
passages, which are in gold. The cover and back of the volume
are of silver embossed. From the deep impression of the strokes,
Ihre, Michaelis, and Hug are of opinion, that the letters were either
imprinted with a warm iron, cut with a graver, or cast for the
purpose, and afterwards coloured ; but Mr. Coxe, (with whom the
late eminent traveller Dr. E. D. Clarke seems to coincide,) after a
very minute examination, was convinced that each letter was painted,
and not formed in the manner supposed by those critics. Most of
the silver letters have become green by time, but the golden letters
are still in good preservation. We have no knowledge of this im-
portant manuscript prior to the discovery of it in the abbey of
Werden in Westphalia, whence it was taken to Prague. In the
year 161<8, when that city was stormed by the Swedes, it fell into
the hands of a Swedish count, who presented it to his sovereign, queen
Christina. After remaining some time in her library, during the
confusion which preceded her abdication of the throne of Sweden,
it suddenly and unaccountably disappeared, and was again brought
to light in the Netherlands. Some have supposed that the cele-
brated Isaac Vossius received it as a present from the Queen ; others,
that he brought it away by stealth. After his death, however, it
was purchased for six hundred dollars by count Magnus Gabriel de
la Gardie, who pi'esentecl it to the university of Upsal, where it
i MichaeltSj vol. ii, parti, pp.244 248. partii. pp.724 728* Griesbach, Symbol
Criticae, tom. i. pp, Iv. Ixiv. Hug, vol. i. pp. 28O 282.
8 See an account of this version, $vipra } pp. 7o, 76.
Sect. III. 4-.] Containing the Neto Testament. 139
at present remains. The following cut is a faithful fac-simile of
the characters of the Codex Argenteus : it was traced from the ma-
nuscript itself for the late Dr. E. D. Clarke, and is the most correct
fac-simile known to be extant. It corresponds with our version of
Luke xviii. 1 7. Verity, I say unto you^ Whosoever shall not receive
the kingdom of God as a httle child, shall in no wise enter therein.
It is worthy of remark, that, in the Codex Argenetus, the well
known old Saxon or Gothic word Bam, is used to signify the origi-
nal word niSioi/ 5 a little child.
Concerning the age of this venerable manuscript, critics are by no
means agreed* Some of the zealous advocates for its antiquity have
maintained that it is the very copy which Ulphilas wrote with his
own hand. The librarian by whom it was exhibited to Dr. Clarke
stated it to have been completed about the end of the fourth century,
by a bishop of Thrace, in the Gothic language used at that time in
Mcesia. This brings its age very nearly, if not quite, to the time
when Ulphilas lived : but it is not likely indeed it is utterly im-
probable that the only copy of the Gothic translation of the Gos-
pels, which is now extant, should be precisely the original. What
proves that this capnot be the identical MS. of Ulphilas, is the fact,
that several various readings have been discovered in the margin, a
circumstance which clearly shows that it must have been written at
a time when several transcripts had been already made.
Some fragments of the Gothic version of St. Paul's Epistle to the
Romans were discovered by M. Knittel, in the year 1756, in a Codex
Rescriptus belonging to the library of the Duke of Brunswick at
Wolfenbiittel : they were published by him in 1762, and reprinted
in 1763, in 4-to., at Upsal, with notes by Ihre. The Brunswick ma-
nuscript contains the version of Ulphilas in one column, and a Latin
translation in the other: it is on vellum, and is supposed to be of the
sixth century. In the eighth or ninth century, the Origines Isidori
Hispalensis were written over the translation of Ulphilas; but the
ink had become so exceedingly pale as not to admit of deciphering
,the original manuscript without great difficulty. 1
In the year 1817, a most important discovery was made among
the Codices Rescript!, in the Ambrosian library at Milan, by signor
1 Michaelis, vol.ii. pp.lttO 153. 631~~635. Semler, pp. 70 72. Viser, Herraeneut.
Nov. Test. vol. ii, part iii. pp. 58. Schoell, Histoire Abrg6 de la Literature
Grecque, torn. ii. p. 131. Hug, vol. i. pp. 488 498. Coxe's Travels in Russia, &c.
vol. iv. pp. 173180. edit, 1802. Dr. E, D. Clarke's Travels, vol. vi. pp.183, 184. 4to.
14*0 Account of tJie principal Manuscripts [Parti. Ch. III.
Angelo Mai', who is at present keeper of the manuscript-department
of the Vatican library. While this indefatigable explorer of antient
literature was examining two Codices Rescript! in the Ambrosian,
library, he was surprised with the discoveiy of some Gothic writing
in one of them ; which on further investigation proved to be frag-
ments of the books of Kings, Ezra, and Nehemiah. The discovery
thus auspiciously made, stimulated him to further inquiries, which
were rewarded with the discovery of four other Codices Rescript!
containing portions of the Gothic version. He now associated in
his researches, signer Carole Ottavio Castillionei ; and to their joint
labours we are indebted for a specimen and account 1 of these manu-
scripts, from which the following particulars are abridged.
Thejirst of these five Gothic MSS. (which is noted S. 36.) consists of
204 quarto pages on vellum ; the later writing contains the homilies of
Gregory the Great on the Prophecies of Ezekiel, winch from their cha-
racters must have been executed before the eighth century. Beneath
this, in a more antient Gothic hand, are contained the Epistles of St,
Paul to the Romans, 1st and 2d Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians,
Colossians, 1st and 2d of Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, together with
a fragment of the Gothic Calendar. The Epistles to the Romans, Co-
rinthians, Ephesians, and to Timothy, are very nearly entire, and form
the chief part of this MS. : of the other Epistles, considerable fragments
only remain. The titles of the Epistles may be traced at the heads of
the pages where they commence. This MS. appears to have been writ-
ten by two different copyists, one of whom wrote more beautifully and
correctly than the other s and various readings may be traced in some
of the margins written in a smaller hand. Entire leaves have been
turned upside down by the rescriber of this MS. A fac-simile specimen
of this manuscript is given in the accompanying Plate 5. No. 1. It re-
presents the commencement of Paul's Epistles to the Ephesians, and
may be thus rendered : The Epistle of Paul to the, Ephesians begin neth.
Paul) an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the will of God) to the saints
who are at Ephcsus.
. The second MS. also, in quarto, and noted S. 45, s contains 156 pages of
thinner vellum, the Latin writing on which is of the eighth or ninth cen-
tury, and comprises Jerome's exposition of Isaiah, Under this has been
discovered, (though with some difficulty, on account of the thickness of
the Latin characters arv*MJyf\ blackness o| the ink,) the fJothic version of
Saint Paul's two Epistiesfto tlfe Corinthians, the Gfaljftians, Ephesians,
Philippians, Colossians, the two Epistles to the Thessalonians and to Titus.
What is deficient in the pre^il^ng MS- is fourid in this, which has some
various readings peculiar to itself, and therefore is ari independent codex,
In the third manuscript, noted G. 82., a quarto Latin volume, contain-
ing the plays of Plautus, and part of Seneca's Tragedies of Medea and
CEdipus, signer Mat discovered fragments of the Books of Kings, Ezra,
and Nehemiah, This discovery is peculiarly valuable, as not the smallest
portion of the Gothic version of the Old Testament was known to be in
existence ; and, further, as it furnishes a complete refutation of the idle
tale repeated by Gibbon after preceding writers, viz. that Ulphilas pru-
dently suppressed the four Books of Kings, as they might tend to irritate
the fierce and sanguinary spirit of his countrymen. 2 The date of the
1 Ulpbil Pnrtiuin Ineditarum, in Ambrosianis Palimpscstis ab Angelo Maio reper-
tarmn, Specimen, conjuiictis curis cjusdem Maii el Carol! Octavii Ca&tillionasi editum,
Mediolani, Regiis Typis, M, DCCC. XIX, 4to. Q Decline and Fall, \ol.\i. p,269.
^,,, ,",.
. //,'/ .
/V^ /j/ I/?'/// 1 -*/',}. ///
r 6JOXQI\fICJD NG I CCyN
XTO^N^C T^G^AIX
[ B XGI X 6 CJDN'EICTHN
//,
' ( s>s/s:r (v*.s////M r, //_ X^/v
6lH/\eGNA,6 BAIC1 A 3 V^^O J^OISjICJD N G I Ccy N
A NTH GIN XV T-CJDly 6TXTOANAC
2k.TTO THCKT01IHCT DN B A.CI X 6 ODN'eiCTHN
KO 1\X^X.X THH9& H
Sect. III. 4.] Containing the New Testament. 141
Latin writing of this MS. which Mai deciphered with great difficulty, is
not specified ; hut, on comparing his specimen of it with other engraved
specimens, \ve are inclined to refer it to the eighth or ninth century,
Thejburih specimen (noted 1.61.) consists of a single sheet in small
quarto, containing four pages of part of Saint John's Gospel in Latin,
under which are found the very fragments of the twenty-fifth, twenty-
sixth, and twenty-seventh chapters of Matthew's Gospel, which are want-
ing in the celebrated manuscript of the Gothic Gospels preserved at Up-
sal, and usually known by the appellation of the Codesc Argenteus.
Thejifth and last manuscript, (noted G. 147.) which has preserved some
remains of Gothic literature, is a volume of the proceedings of the Council
of Chalcedon ; under the later writing have been discovered some frag-
ments of antient authors, whose names Signer Mai' has not specified ; and
also a fragment of a Gothic Homily, rich in biblical quotations, and
the style of which he thinks shows that it was translated from some one
of the fathers of the Greek church. The characters of this MS. bear a
close resemblance to those of the Codex Argenteus, at Upsal, which was
executed in the sixth century.
The manuscripts above described are written in broad and thick
characters, without any division of words or of chapters, but with
contractions of proper names, similar to those found in antient Greek
MSS. Some sections, however,, have been discovered, which are
indicated by numeral marks or larger spaces, and sometimes by large
letters. The Gothic writing is referred to the sixth century.
The portions of the Gothic version of the Old and New Testament,
printed by signers Mai' and Castillionei, are, I. Nehemiah, chap. v.
verses 1318. chap. vi. 14 19. and vii. 1 3. II. A Fragment of
Saint Matthew's Gospel, containing chap. xxv. 38 46. xxvi. 1 3.,
65 75. and xxvii. 1. : this fragment contains the whole of the pas-
sages which are wanting in the Upsal MS, of the four Gospels,
III. Part of St, Paul's Epistle to the Philippiaus, chap, ii, 22 30.
and iii. 1 16. IV. Saint Paul's Epistle to Titus, chap. i. 1 ; 16.
ii, 1. ; and V. verses 11 23. of his Epistle to Philemon. The Go-
thic text is exhibited on the left-hand page, and on the right-hand
page the editors have given a literal Latin translation of it, together
with the Greek original. These arc succeeded by fragments of a
Gothic Homily, and Calendar, with Latin translations, Gothic alpha-
bet, and a glossary of new Gothic words which they have discovered
in the passages which they have printed,
VI, A very valuable CODEX RESCRIPT/US was discovered liprfy
thirty years since by the (late) Rev. Dr. JBarrettj senior fellow of Tri-
nity College, Dublin, While he was examining, different books in
the library of that college, he accidentally met
Greek manuscript, on certain Ifeaves of which h
writing, one antieut and the other comparatively .recent, til
over the former. The original writing OB ,*th$se /tefljjres |
greatly defaced, either by the injuries of tiaje^-'or by art ; on close
examination he found, that tins antient writog consisted of the three
following fragments : the Prophet Isaiah ? the Evangelist Saint
Matthew, and certain orations of Gregory Nazianzen. The frag-
ment, containing Saint Matthew's, Gospel, Dr. Barrett carefully tran-
Account of the principal Manuscripts [Part J. Ch. III.
scribed ; and the whole has been accurately engraved in faosimile by
the order and at the expense of the University, thus presenting to
the reader a perfect resemblance of the original. 1 The accompany-
ing engraving is copied from Dr. B.'s first plate. It represents the
18th and 19th verses of the first chapter of Saint Matthew's Gospel.
We have subjoined the same verses in ordinary Greek types, with a
literal version in parallel columns.
V. 18. ToTAEIYXTHrENESI^OT V. 18. NoWTHEBmTIIOFJSCITTTII
TnSHN-MNH2TET0EI USWAS'EEINGESPOU
SH2TH2MHTP05ATTO. . . SEDIIIS MOTHER
MAPIA2Tnm2H<I>nPIN MARYTOJOSEPHBEFORE
2TNEA0EINATTOTSET THEYCAMETOGETHERSHEWAS
PHQHENrASTPIEXOYSA' FOUNDWITHCHILD ^ '
EKHN^AFIOT BYTHEHOLYSPT*
V. 19. I&SH^AEOANHPATTHS V. 19. JOSEPHTHENIIERHUSBAND
AIKAIO3nNKAIMH0EA. . , BEINGAJUSTMANANDNOTWILL, , ,
AYTHNAEirMATEHAI TOMAKEHERAPUBLICEXAMPLE
EBOTAH0HAA0PAAnOAY WASMINDEDPRIVILYTOPUT
5AIATTHN. HERAWAY.
Of thfe original writing of this manuscript^ which Dr, Barrett calls
the Co$$ Veins? only sixty-four leaves remain, in a very mutilated
state : 'each page contains one column ; and the columns in general
consist 4 of twenty-one lines, and sometimes (though rarely) of twenty-
two or twenty-three ; the lines are nearly of equal lengths, and con-
sist, ordinarily, of eighteen or twenty square letters, written on vellum
originally of a purple colour, but without any points. From these
two circumstances, as well as from the division of the text, the ortho-
graphy, mode of pointing, abbreviations, and from some other con-
siderations, Dr. Barrett, with great probability, fixes its age to the
sixlih century. This manuscript follows the Alexandrian Recension.
The Codex Recens* or la^jer waiting (which contains several tracts of
some Greek fathejsa^ Ke attributes to a scribe of the thirteenth cen-
tury : about whichjffielt Became^ general "'practice to erase antient
TTOJings, and insea^otffe* irTtliei^plac^. 2 ,
VIL OThe Codep* Lfflidianm 3.>a.$ it-is 'noted -by; Dr. Mill, but
noted by the letter E bpWetstein^nd *JE by Griesbach, is a Greek-
Latin manuscript of the Acts of the Apostles, in whicfcthe Latin text
is one of those versions whidh differ ftocn Jerome's ^edition, having
been altered from the particular Greek text of thte manuscript. It is
defective from chap.xxvi. 29. to xxviii. 26.
This manuscript is erroneously supposed td have been the Identical
book used by the venerable Bede in the seventh century, beca'use it
i The title of this interesting (and comparatively'Httle known) publication is as follows :
" Evangelium Secundum Matthseum ex Codice Rcscripto in Bibliothoca Collegu 8803.
Trinitatis justa Dublin : Descriptum Opera ct Studio Johanms Barrett, S, T. F.
MDCCCL" 4to.
* Dr, Barrett's Prolegomena, pp. 2 9.
s So called from Archbishop Laud, who gave this, among many other precious manu-
scripts, to the University of Oxford. It is now preserved in the Bodleian Library, F. 82.
No, 1119.
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Sect. III. 4*.] Containing the New Testament. 143
has all those irregular readings which, in his Commentaries on the
Acts, he says were in his book ; and no other manuscript is now
found to have them. There is an extraordinary coincidence between
it and the old Syriac version of the Acts of the Apostles. Wetstein
conjectures, from an edict of a Sardinian prince, Flavius Pancratius,
written at the end of this manuscript, and from several other circum-
stances, that it was written in Sardinia in the seventh century. To
this conjecture Michaelis is disposed to accede, though Dr. Woide
supposed it to have been written in the East, because its orthography
has several properties observable in the Codex Alexandrinus. But
as these peculiarities are also found in other very antient manuscripts,
Bishop Marsh considers them as insufficient to warrant the inference,
especially when we reflect on the great improbability that a GreeJc
manuscript written in the East should be accompanied with a Latin
translation. It will be seen from the annexed fac-simile \ which re-
presents the chief part of Acts vii, 2,, that this Latin translation, con-
trary to the usual arrangement of the Greek-Latin manuscripts, occu-
pies the first column of the page. Only one word (or at^the utmost,
two or three words, and that but seldom,) is written in a line, and in
uncial or capital letters ; and they are so written that each Latin
word is always opposite to the correspondent Greek word. Hence
it is evident, that the manuscript was written for the use of a person
who was not well skilled in both languages ; and as the Latin occu-
pies the first column, this circumstance is an additional evidence that
it was written in the West of Europe, where Latin only was spoken.
For the satisfaction of the English reader, the verse in question is
subjoined in common Roman and Greek capitals, with the corre-
sponding literal English in a third column.
AD ILLE AIT OAE E$H AND HE SAID
UIRI ANAPE2 MEN
FRATRES AAEA'I'OI BRETHREN
ET PATRES KAI ITATEPES AND FATHERS
AUDITE AKOTSATE HEARKEN
DEUS O 02 THE GD
GLORIA TH2 AOSHS OF GLORY
UISUS EST a<I@H APPEARED
jATRI TOHPI UNTO THE FTHER
- NOSTRO HJVrON OF US
*' ABRAHAE. ABPAAM. ABRAHAM. *.,
'' " J
With regard to the date of this manuscript; M&, i A.stle'rfefers it
y the beginning of the fifth century; Griesbach to tie s&vejath, or
ighlSb.f and Mi\ Hearne to th eighth cfenturyvBut'-ftom d* shape
rtetterjs and other circumstances, B^dp'TlIarsh; providences it
*& be^ss^Brtienf than the Codex Be2ae 5 wJpchNtfiis written ^n the fifth
century. Probably the end of the sixth or the former part of the
seventh century may be assigned as the date of the Codex Laudi-
i It is copied from Mr. Astle's work on the Origin of Writing, Plate iv.
Account of the principal Manuscripts [Part I. Ch. III.
anus 3. This manuscript is of great value : Michaelis pronounces
it to be indispensable to every man who would examine the import-
ant questions whether the Codices Grseco-Latini have been corrupted
from the Latin, and adds, that it was this manuscript which convinced
him that this charge is without foundation. !
VIII. The CODEX COISLINT/VNUS, H. of Griesbach's notation is a
very beautiful MS. of the sixth century, containing fragments of St.
Paul's Epistles : it is written in uncial characters, with accents ; and
was formerly kept at mount Athos, where it was applied, as old parch-
ment, to the binding of other books, in the year 1218 ; as appears in
a note of the book to the binding of which it was applied/ 2
IX. The CODEX BOERNERIANUS derives its name from Dr. C. F.
Boerner, to whom it formerly belonged, and is now deposited in the
royal library at Dresden. It is noted by the letter G. 2. by Wet-
steiii and Griesbach. It contains St. Paul's Epistles, with the ex-
ception of that to the Hebrews, which was formerly rejected by the
church of Rome; and is written in Greek and Latin, the Latin or
old Ante-Hieronyrnian version being interlined between the Greek,
and written over the text, of which it is a translation. Sernler sup-
posed that the Latin was written since the Greek ; but Professor
Matthsei, who published a copy of this manuscript, suggests that the
uniformity of the hand-writing, and similarity in the colour of the ink,
evince that both the Greek and Latin texts proceeded from the sanie
transcriber. It frequently agrees with the Codex Claromontanus
(described in pp. 137, \3$*supra\ and with the Codex Augiensis, of
which a notice is given in p. 147. infra. The time when this manu-
script was written has not been determined with precision. That it
is antient, appears (says Michaelis) from the form of the characters,
and the absence of accents and marks of aspiration. It seems to have
been written in an age when the transition was making from uncial
to small characters ; and from the correspondence of the letters r, 5,
and if, in the Latin version to that form which is found in the Anglo-
Saxon alphabet, Bishop Marsh infers, that this manuscript was writ-
ten in the west of Europe, and probably between the eighth and tenth
centuries. Kuster, who first collated this manuscript, supposed it
to be British ; Doederlein, Irish. The learned reviewer of Malthsoi's
edition of this manuscript, in the Jena Literary Gazette, decides that
it could only be written in Germany or France ; because in the mar-
gin many passages are noted contra yoSS*cr>c>,jtov, apparently because
they are contradictory to the opinion of Gottschalk, a celebrated
monk, who disputed concerning predestination in the ninth century,
but whose tenets excited little attention except in those two countries.
The writer in question thinks it probable that this manuscript was
written by Johannes Scotus, who lived at the court of Charles the
Bald, king* of France, and was the most celebrated opponent of
i Griesbach, Symb. Crit. torn. ii. pp. 181 183, Michaelis, vol. ii. pavti. pp. 2CJ9
274. partii. pp. 7-17, 74S. Dr. Woidc, Prarfat. acl Cod, Alcxandr. pp. xxvi xxviii.
7681. Astle on tlie Origin of Writing, p. 76* 2d edit. The Greek and Latin text
of the Codex Laudianus was printed at Oxford in Svo. in 1715, by the celebrated and.
c[uary, Thomas Hearne, with a specimen of the original characters.
Hug's Introduction, vol i. p. 288.
Sect. III. 4.] Containing the New -Testament.
Gottschalk. The manuscript, however, could not have been written
later than the ninth century, for in the beginning of the tenth, Gotts-
chalk's dispute had lost all its importance. Griesbach and Hug ac-
cordingly refer the Codex Boernerianus to the ninth or tenth cen-
tury. There is a transcript of this MS. in the library of Trinity
College, Cambridge, among the books and manuscripts that were
left by Dr. Bentley, who probably procured it for his intended edi-
tion of the Greek Testament. Professor Matthaei published a copy
of this manuscript at Meissen in Saxony, in 1791, in quarto, which
was reprinted at the same place in 1818, also in quarto. a
X. The CODEX CYPIUUS, or Colbertinus, 514<9,, noted K. in the
first volume of Wetstein's and Griesbach's editions of the Greek
Testament, is a copy of the four Gospels, brought from the island
of Cyprus in the year 1637; and now deposited in the Royal Li-
brary at Paris, where it is at present numbered 33. This manuscript
was first collated by Father Simon \ whose extracts of various read-
ings were inserted by Dr. Mill in his critical edition of the New
Testament. 3 Wetstein charged this manuscript with latinising, but
without sufficient evidence. Michaelis deemed it to be of great value,
and expressed a wish for a more accurate collation of it. That wish
was not realised until the year 1819, when Dr. J. M. A. Scholz, of
Heidelberg, being at Paris, subjected this manuscript to a very
rigorous critical examination, the results of which he communicated
to the public in his Cures Critic^ in Historiam Textus Evangcliorum
(4to. Heidelbergoe, 1820): from this work the following particulars
are abridged.
This manuscript is written on vellum, in an oblong quarto size,
and in excellent preservation. The uncial characters are not round,
as in most antient manuscripts, but leaning; they exhibit evident
marks of haste and sometimes of carelessness in the transcriber, and
they present the same abbreviations as occur in the Alexandrian,
Vatican, and other manuscripts. In a few instances, accents are
absent, but frequently they are incorrectly placed ; the spirits (asper
and lenis) are often interchanged; and the permutations of vowels
and consonants are very numerous. Thus we meet with xaixpujw^svw
for xsxpvppsvw (Matt. xiii. 44.) ; sX$si for sXfy (Mark iv. 22,); p/3|Sst
for pajSjS* (Matt, xxiii. 7. xxvi. 25. 49, &c.) ; oxoSoju.rjro for WXO&O/JHJTO
(Luke iv. 29.); TOUT-CO for TQUTQ (Lukeviii. 9.); AaBSaiov for ^foy;
sxahufiov for exa^suSov (Matt. xxv. 5.); Na^apsS for NaSJapsr (Mark
i. 9.) &c. From the confused and irregular manner in which the
accents and spirits are placed, Dr. Scholz conjectures that the Codex:
Cyprius was transcribed from a more antient copy that was nearly-
destitute of those distinctions. Some of the permutations are un-
questionably errors of the transcriber, but the greater part of them,
he is of opinion, must be referred to the orthography and pronun-
1 Kuster's preface to bis edition or" Mill's Greek Testament, &ul finem. Michaelis,
vol. ii. parti, pp. 225 297. paVtii. pp. 672 677. Jena Algeraeine Lilteratur Zeilung,
as abridged in the Analytical Review for 1793, vol. xvii, p. 231. Hug's Introduction,
vol. i. pp. 283 2SG. * *.
a Histoire Critique du Texte du Nbuveau Testament, ch. x, p. 104.
3 Nov. Test. Millii et Kusteri Prolegom. p. 162.
tOL, IT. L
146 Account of the principal Manuscripts [Part I. Ch. III.
ciation which (it is well known) were peculiar to the Alexandrians.
To this manuscript are prefixed a synaxariwn or epitome of the
lives of the Saints, who are venerated by the Greek church, and a
menologium or martyrology, together with the canons of Eusebius :
to each of the three last Gospels is also prefixed an index of the
x=$c*.KaisL or larger chapters. The numbers of the Ammonian sec-
tions and larger chapters *, are marked in the inner margin ; and the
numbers of the other chapters, together with the titles, are placed
either at the top or at the bottom of the page. The Gospel of St.
Matthew comprises 359 Ammonian sections, and 68 chapters; that
of St. Mark, 24? 1 sections, and 4-8 chapters; that of St. Luke, 342
sections and 83 chapters ; and the Gospel of St. John, 232 sec-
tions, and 19 chapters. The celebrated passage in John viii. 1 11,,
concerning the woman who had been taken in adultery, constitutes
a distinct chapter. From the occasional notation of certain days, on
which particular portions were to be read, as well as from the pre-
fixing of the synaxarium and menologium, Dr. Scholz considers
this manuscript as having originally been written, and constantly
used, for ecclesiastical purposes.
A considerable difference of opinion prevails, respecting the age
of the Codex Cyprius. Simon referred it to the tenth century :
Hug, to the ninth century ; Dr. Mill thought it still later ; Mont-
faucon assigned it to the eighth century, and with his opinion Dr.
Scholz coincides, from the general resemblance of the writing to that
of other manuscripts of the same date. Specimens of its characters
have been given by Montfaucon' 2 , Blanchini 3 , and Dr. Scholz. 4 Our
fac-simile in Plate 3. No. 3. 5 is copied from the last-mentioned writer :
it contains part of the first verse of the twenty-eighth chapter of St.
Matthew's Gospel, in English thus:
INTHEENDOFTHESABBATH'ASITBEGANTODAWNTOWARDSTIIEFIRSTZ)^r
OFTHEWEEK'CAMEMARYMAGDALENE.
This manuscript is of considerable importance in a critical point
of view, particularly as it affords great weight to the readings of the
best and most antient MSS,, antient versions, and the" fathers;. 6
XL The CODEX BASILEENSIS, B. VI. 21., noted by Dr. Mill, B. 1.,
by Bengel, Bas. , and by Wetstein* and Griesbach, E., is a manu-
1 See an account of these divisions in pp. 169, 170. infra,
2 Palseographia Gracca, p. 232,
3 Evangeliarium Quadruplex, Part I. p. 492. plate 3. from that page.
4 At the end of his Curoc Criticte in Historian! Tcxtus Evangcliorum. In pp.80 90.
Dr. Scholz has given (he first entire collation ever published, of the Various Readings con-
tained in the Codex CypriiiK.
5 This plate faces page 132. supra,
6 Dr. Scholz (Cur. Cnt. pp. 63 65.) has given several instances of such readings,
one only of which we have room to notice. In John vli. 8. the Codex Cyprius reads owe
wa/3aiz/w, which in later manuscripts is altered to OUTTW amjScuvw, because the celebrated
antagonist of Christianity, Porphyry, had used it as a ground of objection. With the
Codux Cyprius agree the Cambridge Manuscript, the Codices Regii, 14. (33. of Gries-
'bach's notation,) and 55. (17. of Griesbach), several of the Moscow manuscripts cited by
Matthsei, the Memphitic and Ethiopia versions, together with several of the Ante-Hicro-
nymian versions, and, among the fathers, Jerome, Augustine, Cyril, Chrysostom, and
Epiphanius. This reading alone proves that the Codex Cyprius has not been altered from
the Latin, as Wetstcin asserted without any authority.
Sect. III. 4.] Containing the Ne> Testament. 147
script of the four Gospels, written in uncial letters, in the eighth or
(more probably) ninth century. It is mutilated in Luke i. 69. ii. 4.,
iii. 415-5 xii. 58. xiii. 12., xv. 820.; and xxiv. 47. to the end
of the Gospels : but the chasms in Luke i. 69. ii. 4., xii. 58.
xiii. 12., and xv. 820. have been filled up by a later hand. This
manuscript was not used by Erasmus ; but it was collated by Samuel
Battier for Dr. Mill, who highly valued it ; by Iselin, for BengePs
edition of the New Testament ; and by Wetslein, who has given its
readings in his edition. 1
XII. The CODEX SAN-GERMANENSIS (noted E. 2. in the second
volume of Wetstein's edition of the New Testament) is a Greek-
Latin manuscript of St. Paul's Epistles, written in the seventh cen-
tury, in uncial letters, and with accents and marks of aspiration, d
primd manu. It has been generally supposed to be a mere copy of
the Codex Claromontanus (described in pp. 137. supra) \ but this
opinion is questioned by Dr. Semler, in his critical examination of
this manuscript, who has produced many examples,, from which it
appears that if the transcriber of it actually had the Clermont MS.
before him, he must at least have selected various readings from
other manuscripts. Bishop Marsh, therefore, considers the San-
Gerrnanensis as a kind of Codex Edecticus, in writing which the Cler-
mont MS. was principally but not at all times consulted. The manu-
script now under consideration takes its name from the monastery of
St. Germain- des-Prez, in Paris, in whose library it was formerly pre-
served. Dr. Mill first procured extracts from it, for his edition of
the New Testament,, where it is noted by the abbreviation Ger. for Ger-
manensis. By Wetstein, it is noted E 2., and by Griesbach E.
According to Montfaucon, there is also extant another more
antient Codex San-Germanensis of St. Paul's Epistles, which has
never been collated. It is a fragment, containing only thirteen
leaves ; and is supposed to be as antient as the fifth century.' 2 *
XIII. The CODEX AUGIEWSIS is a Greek-Latin manuscript of
St. Paul's Epistles ; it derives its name from the monastery of Augia
major, at Rheinau, to which it belonged in the fifteenth century.
After passing through various hands, it was purchased by the cele-
brated critic. Dr. Richard Bentley, in 1718; and in 1787, on the
death of the younger Bentley, it was deposited in the library of
Trinity College, Cambridge. This manuscript is defective from
the beginning to Rom. iii. 8., and the epistle to the Hebrews is
found only in the Latin version. Hug assigns it to the latter half of
the ninth, or to the tenth century, and Michaelis to the ninth cen-
tury, which (Bishop Marsh remarks) is the utmost that can be. allowed
to its antiquity. The Greek text is written in uncial letters without
accents, and the Latin in Anglo-Saxon characters i it has been col-
1 Marsh's Michaelis, vol. ii. parti, pp. 217, 218. Hug's Introd. vol.i. pp.289
294.
2 Michaelis, vol. ii, parti, p, 314. partii. pp, 784, 785. ; Hug, vol.i. p. 282.
Montfaucon's Bibliotheca Bibliothecarum, torn. ii. p. 1041, In his Palorographia
Graeca, he has given a fac-simile of the Greek and Latin characters of the Codex San-
Germanensis, Another fac-simile of them is given by Blanchini, in his Evangeliarimn
Quadruplex, vol. i. in the last of the Plates annexed to p. 533.
L 2
14?8 Account of the principal Manuscripts [Part I. Ch. III.
lated by Wetstein, who has noted the Codex Augiensis with the
letter F. in the second part of his edition of the New Testament. In
many respects it coincides with the Codex Boernerianus, and belongs
to the Western Recension. The words Xpig-os (Christ\ and lv)<rou$
(Jesus) are not abbreviated by XC and 1C, as in the common ma-
nuscripts, but by XPC and IHC, as in the Codex Bezae. 1
XIV, The CODEX HARLEIANUS, No. 5598., is a most splendid
Evangeliarium, or collection of lessons from the four Gospels, un-
known to Dr. Griesbach ; it is written on vellum, in uncial Greek
letters, which are gilt on the first leaf, and coloured and ornamented
throughout the rest of the book, It consists of seven hundred and
forty-eight pages ; and according to an inscription on the last page,
was* written by one Cpnstantine, a presbyter, A. D. 995. To several
of the longer sections, titles are prefixed in larger characters. The
passages of the Gospels are noted in the margin, as they occur,, by a
later hand, and between pages 726. and 729., there are inserted ten
leaves of paper, containing the series of Lessons or Extracts from
the Gospels, which are supposed to have been written by Dr. Covell,
who was chaplain to the British Embassy at Constantinople A.D. 1670
1677,and was a diligent collector of MS S. In Plate 3. No. 2. is given
a fac-simile 2 of the third page of this precious manuscript. It repre-
sents the eighteenth verse of the first chapter of Saint John's Gospel.
We have annexed the same passage in ordinary Greek types, together
with a literal English Version, in parallel columns.
NOTAEISEO GDNOMANHATHSE
PAKEnimOTE- ENATANYTIME. _
'OMONOFENHSfS" THEONLYBEGOTTENSN
<O&NE1TONKOA WHOISINTHEBO
nONTOT flPSEKEI SOMOFTPIEFHR H
NOSEEHFHSATO- EHATHMADEHIMKNOWN.
The lines of this venerable MS. are not all of equal length, some
containing ten, others ten or more letters in each line. The same
contractions of G>2 for eo<; (God\ IIP for Ila-nig (Father), TS for
Tios (a son\ &c, which occur in all the most antient Greek manu-
scripts, are also to be seen in this evangeliarium. As it has never
yet been collated, it is highly worthy of the attention of future editors
of the New Testament.
XV. The CODEX REGIUS,. 2861. 3 at present 62 ij, (or the eighth
of the manuscripts collated by Robert Stephens,) is a quarto manu-
script, on vellum, of the ninth century, and written in uncial letters
of an oblong form. The accents are frequently wanting, and are
often wrongly placed, even when they are inserted, from which cir-
cumstance Griesbach thinks that this manuscript was transcribed
from another very antient one, which had no accents. Each page
i Michaelis, vol. ii. parti, pp. 210, 211. part ii. pp.664, 665. Hug, vol. i.
$p. 286288.
This plate faces page 132, supra.
Sect. III. 4.] Containing the New Testament. 14-9
is divided into two columns, and the words follow, for the most part,
without any intervals between them. The iota snbscriptum, and
postscriptum, are uniformly wanting: the usual abbreviations occur,
and the letters AT and OT are sometimes written with contractions,
as in the Codex Coislinianus 1. (a manuscript of the eighth century);
and not seldom a letter is dropped in the middle of a word : Thus,
we read in it 7rpa/3>o] for vapajSoXij, xAqo-eraJ for wA>jSvj0-sTtfj, Jt^rpw-
/ASVOJ for xaTupcjofiEvos, &c. &c. Errors in orthography appear in
every page, and also permutations of vowels and consonants. This
manuscript contains the four Gospels, with the following chasms,
viz. Matt. iv. 21. v. 14. and xxviii. 17. to the end of the Gospel ;
Mark x. 17 30. and xv. 10 20.; and John xxi. 15. to the end.
The TjrAoi and the Ammonian sections with reference to the canons
of Eusebius are written in the Codex Regius a primd manu. It is
noted L. by Wetstein, and also by Griesbach 1 , who has given a very
complete and accurate collation of its various readings in his Sym-
bolae Criticae. This manuscript harmonises with the Alexandrine
or Western Recension.
XVL The CODEX UFFENBACHIANUS 2. 5 (1. of Bengal's notation,
and No. 53. of Wetstein's and Griesbach's catalogues of manuscripts,)
is a fragment of the Epistle to the Hebrews, consisting of two leaves :
it is at present preserved in the public library at Hamburgh. Having
been very imperfectly described by Mains, Wetstein, and Bengel,
Dr. H. P. C. Henke rendered an important service to biblical liter-
ature by subjecting it to a minute critical examination, the result of
which he published at Helmstadt, in 1800, in a quarto tract, with a
fac-simile of the writing. 2 According to this writer, the Codex
Uffenbachianus originally consisted of one ternion, or six leaves, of
which the four middle ones are lost. It is wholly written in red un-
cial characters, slightly differing from the square form observable in
the most antient manuscripts. The accents and notes of aspiration
are carefully marked, but the iota subscriptum nowhere occurs : nor
are any stops or minor marks of distinction to be seen, except the
full stop, which is promiscuously placed at the bottom, in the middle,
or at the top of a page, to serve as a comma, a colon, or a full point.
The note of interrogation occurs only once, viz. in Heb. iii. 17. after
the word pw& ; but there are scarcely any abbreviations beside those
which we have already noticed as existing in the Alexandrian and
other antient manuscripts. It is remarkable 5 that the first verse of
the second chapter is wanting in this manuscript, which is character-
ised by some peculiar readings. M. von Uffenbach, who was its first
known possessor, referred it to the seventh or eight century. Wet-
stein asserted it to have been written in the eleventh century ; but,
on comparing it with the specimens of manuscripts engraved by
Montfaucon arid Blanchini, we are of opinion with Dr. Henke, that
1 Griesbach's Symbol Critical, torn. i. pp. lxvi.< cxli. Michaelis, vol. ii. parti,
pp. 304 S06. partiu pp. 778, 779. Hug, vol. i. p. 294.
2 Dr. Henke's publication and fac-simile are reprinted by Pott and Ruperti, in their
Sylloge Coramentationum Theologicarum, vol. ii. pp. 1 S3. Helmstadt, 1801 ; from
which our account of the Codex Uffenbachianus is abridged.
L 3
150 Account of the principal Manuscripts [Part I. Ch. III.
it was executed in the ninth century. In its readings, the Codex
Uffenbachianus sometimes approximates to the Alexandrine, and
sometimes to the Western Recension.
XVII. The CODICES MANNERS- SUTTONIANI are a choice collec-
tion of manuscripts, in the archiepiscopal library at Lambeth, which
have been purchased, and presented to that library by his Grace the
present Archbishop, They are principally the collection made by
the Rev. J. D. Carlyle, Professor of Arabic in the university of Cam-
bridge, during his travels in the East, with a view to a critical edition
of the New Testament, with various readings ; which however was
never undertaken, in consequence of his lamented decease. 1 Of
these manuscripts (which are chiefly of the New Testament) the fol-
lowing are particularly worthy of notice, on account of the harvest
of various lections which they may be expected to afford.
1. No. 1175 is a manuscript of the four Gospels, written on vellum, in
quarto, towards the end of the eleventh or at the beginning of the twelfth
century. The two first verses of the first chapter "of Saint Matthew's
Gospel are wanting. At the end of this manuscript, on a single leaf,
there are part of the last verse of the seventh chapter of Saint John's
Gospel and the first eleven verses of the eighth chapter.
2. No. 1176 is another manuscript of the four Gospels, on vellum, in
quarto, written in the twelfth century. On the first leaf there are some
figures painted and gilt, which have nearly disappeared from age. This
is followed by the chapters of the four Gospels.
3. No. 1177 is a manuscript of the four Gospels, on vellum, of the
twelfth century, which is very much mutilated in the beginning.
4?. No. 1178 contains the four Gospels, most beautifully written on
vellum, in quarto, in the tenth century. The first seven verses and
part of the eighth verse of the first chapter of Saint Matthew's Gospel
are wanting.
5. No. 1179 contains the four Gospels, mutilated at the beginning and
end. It is on vellum, in quarto, of the twelfth century.
6g. ISTos. 1182, 1183, and 1185, are manuscripts, containing the Acts
of the Apostles, the Catholic Epistles, and the whole of Saint Paul's
Epistles. They are all written in quarto and on paper* No. 1 182 is of the
twelfth century : the conclusion of St. John's First Epistle, and the sub-
sequent part of this manuscript to the end, have been added by a later
hand. No. 1 183 is of the fourteenth century. No. 1 185 is of the fifteenth
century, and is mutilated at the end.
9. No. 1186 is a quarto manuscript on vellum, written in the eleventh
century, and contains the Epistles of Saint Paul and the Apocalypse.
It is unfortunately mutilated at the beginning and end. It commences
with Rom. xvi. 15. .... wav (that is, OXvpnav) KOU rovq GUV dBVTO^ navvat;
ayiw^ .... pas (that is, Olympas] and all the saints which are with
them : and it ends with the words, ETTI re* &pw&) fayovTKc; Ajt/wjy, on the
throne^ saying. Amen. Rev. xix*4?. The Rev. H. J, Todd has given a
fac-simile of this precious manuscript in his catalogue of the manuscripts
in the archiepiscopal library at Lambeth.
1 Six of these precious MSS. having been reclaimed by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, as
having been lent only to Professor Carlyle; they were returned to him in 1817, by his
Grace the ARCHBISHOP or CANTERBURY. Full particulars relative to this transaction, so
honourable to the noble and munificent character of the Primate of all England, may be
seen in the Rev. H. J, Todd's " Account of Greek Manuscripts, chiefly Biblical, which
had been in the possession of the late Professor Carlyle, the greater part of which are now-
deposited in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth Palace." London. [1818.] 8vo.
Sect. III. j 4.] Containing the New Testament. 151
1012, Nos. 1187 1189 are lectionaries from the four Gospels, writ-
ten on vellum in the thirteenth century.
13. No. 1190 is a manuscript on vellum written with singular neatness,
in the thirteenth century. Formerly it contained the Acts of the Apostles,
and the Catholic Epistles, together with the whole of Saint Paul's Epistles.
It is sadly mutilated and torn, both in the middle and at the end.
14. No. 1191 is a lectionary, from the Acts of the Apostles and the
Epistles. It is on vellum, in quarto, of the thirteenth century. It is mu-
tilated both at the beginning and end. All the preceding manuscripts
were brought by Professor Carlyle from the Greek islands.
1517. Nos. 1194, 1195, and 1196 are lectionaries from the Acts of
the Apostles and Epistles. They are on vellum, in quarto, and were
written in the thirteenth century. No. 1194 is mutilated at the end: the
writing of this manuscript is singularly neat, and many of the letters are
gilt. No. 1 195 is also mutilated at the "beginning, and No. 1196 at the end.
18. No. 1192 is a very beautiful manuscript of the four Gospels, in
quarto, written on vellum in the thirteenth century.
19. No. 1193 is a lectionary from the four Gospels, also written on
vellum, in the thirteenth century. It is mutilated at the end. The six
last manuscripts, Nos. 1191 1196 were brought from Syria. 1
XVIII. The CODICES MOSQUENSES, or Moscow manuscripts, are
fifty-five in number. They were discovered by M. Matthsei, while
he was a professor in that city, principally in the library belonging
to the Holy Synod ; and were collated by him with great accuracy.
The principal various readings, derived from them, are printed in
his edition of the Greek Testament, of which a notice is given in p. 18.
of the Appendix to this volume. Though these MSS. are not of the
highest antiquity, yet they are far from being modern, since some
of them were written in the eighth, several in the tenth or eleventh,
and many in the twelfth century. As the Russian is a daughter of
the Greek church, Michaelis remarks that the Moscow manuscripts
very frequently contain the readings of the Byzantine recension,
though he has observed many readings that were usual not only in
the west of Europe, but also in Egypt. Of the Codices Mosquenses,
there are three, which Matlhaei designates by the letters V. H. and
B., and to which he gives a high character for antiquity, correctness,
and agreement : they are all written in uncial characters. The ma-
nuscript V. contains the four Gospels ; from John vii. 39. to the end
is the writing of the twelve or thirteenth century : the preceding part
is of the eighth century. It is written with accents, and is regularly
pointed throughout. B. is an Evangeliarium or collection of the
four Gospels, of the same date : H. is also an Evangeliarium, and,
in the judgment of Matthsei, the most antient manuscript known to
be extant in Europe. V. and H. were principally followed by him
in forming the text of his edition of the New Testament 2
XIX. The CODEX BRIXIENSIS or BRIXIANUS is a precious rnanu-
1 Catalogue of the MSS. in the Archiepiscopal Library, at Lambeth, by the Rev. H.
J. Todd, pp. 261, 262. folio, London, 181 2.
s JVIichaelis, vol. ii. part i, pp 288, 289. part ii. pp.763 767. In Beck's Mono-
grammata Hermeneutices Librorum Novi Testament! (pp.67 71. 98.) and Griesbach's
second edition of the Greek Testament (pp. cxjciii cxxvu), there are lists of the Moscow
manuscripts. Prof. Matlfacei has also given notices of them with occasional tac-similes,
in the different volumes of his edition of the Greek Testament.
L 4
1 52 Account of the principal Manuscripts [Part I. Ch. Ill*
script of the Old Italic (Latin) Version executed in the eighth century,
preserved at Brescia, in Lombardy. It is an oblong quarto, written
in uncial characters, on purple vellum, which in the lapse of time
has faded to a bluish tinge. The letters were written with ink, and
subsequently silvered over. The initial words of each Gospel have
been traced with gold, vestiges of which are still visible. The letters
O. and V., T. and D., are frequently interchanged, and especially
the letters B. and V. To the Gospels are prefixed the Eusebian
Canons. * The Codex Brixiensis is very frequently referred to by
Mr. Nolan in his " Inquiry into the Integrity of the Greek Vulgate
or received Text of the New Testament," on account of its antiquity
and importance, in vindicating the integrity of that text. It is printed
by Blanchini in his Evangeliarum Quadruplex.
XX. Besides the preceding manuscripts, which (with few excep-
tions) are written in square or uncial characters, there are many
others written in small letters^ which are quoted by Griesbach and
other critics, by Arabic numerals, 1, 2, 3, &c. ; and which, though
not equal in point of antiquity with several of those in uncial letters,
are nevertheless of great value and importance, and frequently ex-
hibit readings not inferior to those contained in the foregoing manu-
scripts. Of this description are the following ; viz,
1. The CODEX BASILEENSIS, (noted by Bengal Bas. y, and by Wet-
stein and Griesbach 1, throughout their editions,) contains the whole
of the New Testament, except the Revelation, and is written on vel-
lum with accents. On account of the subscriptions and pictures
which are found in it, (one of which appears to be a portrait of the
emperor Leo, surnamed the Wise, and his son Constantine Porphy-
rogennetus, ) Wetstein conjectures that it was written in their time,
that is, in the tenth century. Michaelis and Griesbach have acceded
. to this opinion. Erasmus, who made use of it for his edition of the
Greek Testament, supposed it to be a latinising manuscript, and his
supposition was subsequently adopted by Wetstein ; but Michaelis
has vindicated it from this charge, and asserts that it is intitled to
very great esteem. According to Hug, the text of the Gospels is
very different from the text of the other parts of the book. 2
2. The CODEX BEROLINENSIS is a quarto manuscript, on vellum,
of the tenth century, preserved in the Royal Library at Berlin, It
contains the following fragments ; viz. Matt. i. 1 21. ; vi. 12 32. ;
and xxii. 6. to the end of that Gospel ; Mark i. 1 5. 29. ; ix. 21.
xiii, 12, ; Luke viii. 27. to the end of the Gospel ; John i. 1. ix. 21.
and xx. 1 5. to the end of the Gospel. The various readings com-
prised in this manuscript were published by M. Pappelbaum, arch-
deacon of Berlin, in his description of it ; whence they have been,
inserted by M. Dermout in his Collectanea Critica in Novum Tes-
tamenturn a , and by Dr. Schulz (who numbers it 239) in, his third
edition of Griesbach's Greek Testament.
3. The CODEX CORSE NDONCENSIS, which is in the Imperial Li-
1 Blanchini Evangeliarum Quadruples, torn, i, Prolegomena, pp, 140.
2 Hug, vol. i. pp. 297, 298.
3 Dermout, Collectanea Critica, p. 22,
Sect. III. 4?.] Containing the New Testament, 153
brary at Vienna, is noted 3 by Wetstein and Griesbach. It was used
by Erasmus for his second edition, and contains the whole of the
New Testament, except the book of Revelation. It appears to have
been written in the twelfth century, and by an ignorant transcriber,
who has inserted marginal notes into the text. Wetstein charges it
with being altered from the Latin.
4. The CODEX MONTFORTJANUS or MONTFORTII, also' called
DUBLINENSIS (61 of Grie&bach), is a manuscript containing the whole
of the New Testament, preserved in the library of Trinity College,
Dublin, to which it was presented by Archbishop Usher. It derives
its name of Montfortianus from having belonged to Dr. Montfort,
previously to coming into Usher's possession. It has acquired much
celebrity as being supposed to be the only manuscript which has the
much-contested clause in 1 John v. 7, 8, and is the same which was cited
by Erasmus under the title of Codex Britannicus, who inserted the dis-
puted passage in the third edition of his Greek Testament on its au-
thority. It is written in small Greek characters on thick glazed paper,
in duodecimo, and without folios. Dr. A. Clarke (to whom we are
indebted for the fac-simile which is given in a subsequent part of
this work l ) is of opinion that it was most probably written in the
thirteenth century, from the similarity of its writing to that of other
manuscripts of the same time. He has no doubt but it existed before
the invention of printing, and is inclined to think it the work of an
unknown bold critic, who formed a text from one or more manu-
scripts in conjunction with the Latin Vulgate, and who was by no
means sparing of his own conjectural emendations, as it possesses
various readings which exist in no manuscript yet discovered. But
how far the writer has in any place faithfully copied the text of any
particular antient manuscript, is more than can be determined. In,
the early part of the last century Mr. Martin claimed for this manu-
script so early a date as the eleventh century. But Bishop Marsh,
after Griesbach, contends that it is at least as modern as the fifteenth
or sixteenth century. The Codex Montfortianus, he observes, " made
its appearance about the year 1520: and that the manuscript had
just been written, when it first appeared, is highly probable, because
it appeared at a critical juncture, and its appearance answered a par-
ticular purpose, 2 But, whether written for the occasion or not, it
could not have been written very long before the sixteenth century ;
1 See Vol. IV, Part II. Chap. IV. Sect. V. VI. itifrti.
2 "Erasmus had published two editions of the Greek Testament, one in 1516, the
other in 1519, both of which were without the words, that begin with svrca ovpavw and
end -with w TJJ yn, in the disputed clause in 1 John v. 7, 8. This omssian, as it was
called by those who paid more deference to the Latin translation than to the Greek
original, exposed Erasmus to much censure, though, in fact, the complaint was for nan-
addition. Erasmus, therefore, very properly answered ; * Addend! de tneo, quod Grsccis
deest, provinciam non suscepcram.' He promised, however, that though he could not
insert in a Greek edition what he had never found in a Greek manuscript, he would
insert the passage in his next edition, if in the mean time a Greek MS. could be dis-
covered which had the passage. In less than a year after that declaration, Erasmus was
informed, that there was a Greek MS. in England which contained the passage. At the
same time a copy of the passage, as contained in that MS., was communicated to Eras-
mus : and Erasmus, as he had promised, inserted that copy in his next edition, which was
published in 1522."
154? Account of the principal Manuscripts [Part I. Ch, III.
for this manuscript has the Latin chapters, though the xefaXaia of
Eusebius are likewise noted. Now the Latin chapters were foreign
to the usage of the Greek Church, before the introduction of printed
editions, in which the Latin chapters were adopted, as well for the
Greek as for the Latin Testament. Whatever Greek manuscripts
therefore were written with Latin Chapters, were written in the West
of Europe, where the Latin Chapters were in use. They were
written by the Greeks, or by the descendants of those Greeks, who
fled into the West of Europe, after the taking of Constantinople,
and who then began to divide their manuscripts according to the
usage of the country, in which they fixed their abode. 1 The Dublin
manuscript, therefore, if not written for the purpose to which it was
applied in the third edition of Erasmus 2 , could hardly have been
written more than fifty years before. And how widely those critics
have erred in their conjectures, who have supposed that it was written
so early as the twelfth century, appears from the fact that the Latin
Chapters were not invented till the 13th century. But the influence
of the Church of Rome in the composition of the Dublin manuscript,
is most conspicuous in the text of that manuscript, which is a servile
imitation of the Latin Vulgate. It will be sufficient to mention how
it follows the Vulgate at the place in question. It not only agrees
with the Vulgate, in the insertion of the seventh verse : it follows the
Vulgate also at the end of the sixth verse, having ^pia-roc, where all
other Greek manuscripts have TTVSU^ : and in the eighth verse it omits
the final clause which had never been omitted in the Greek manu-
scripts, and was not omitted even in the Latin manuscripts before the
thirteenth century. 4 Such is the character of that solitary manu-
script, which is opposed to the united evidence of all former manu-
scripts, including the Codex Vatican ns 9 and the Codex Alexan-
drinus." 5 Upon the whole, it does not appear that the date of the
Codex Montfortiauus can be earlier than the close of the fifteenth
century. The uncollatcd parts of this manuscript were collated by
the late Rev. Dr. Barrett, of Trinity College, Dublin, with Wetstein's
edition of the Greek Testament ; beginning with Rom. ii. and ending
with the Apocalypse, including also a collation ol the Acts of the
Apostles, from chap. xxii. 27. to chap, xxviii. 2. This collation,
comprising thirty-five pages, forms the third part of his faosimile
edition of the Codex Rescriptus of St. Matthew's Gospel.
5. The CODEX MEERMANNIANUS derives its name from its former
1 " There are three Greek manuscripts with the Latin Chapters in the University
Library at Cambridge, marked Hh. 6. 12. Kk. 5. 35. and LI. 2. 13. That which is
marked LI. 2. 13,, and is evidently the oldest of the three, was written at Paris by Jerom
of Sparta, for the use and at the expence of a person called Bodet, as appears from the
subscription to it. Now Jerom of Sparta died at the beginning of the sixteenth century."
* "The third edition of Erasmus lias 1 John v. 7. precisely in the words of the Dublin
MS."
3 Sec p. 1(38. infra.
4 " Here there is an additional proof, respecting the age of the Dublin MS, "
6 Bishop Marsh's Lectures, Part VI. pp. 23 26. See also his letters to Mr. Arch-
deacon Travis, (Leipzig, 1795, 8vo ) Pref. pp. xvii. xviii, xxiii. in the notes. Micliaelis
vol. ii. parti, pp.284 28*7. . part ii, pp, 755 759. Dr. A. Clarke's Succession of
Sacred Literature, pp. 8C 92.
Sect. III. J 4.] Containing tJie New Testament. IBB
possessor M. Meerrnan, at the sale of whose library it was purchased
by a private individual, but has since been deposited in the Library
of the University of Leyden. It was written towards the close of the
twelfth century, and contains the four Gospels, Acts, and all the
Epistles; but it is defective in Acts i. 1 14. xxi. 14. xxiL 28.
Rom. i. vii. 13. 1 John iv. 20. to the end; the second and third
Epistles of John, and the Epistle of Jude. This manuscript was first
collated by M. Dermout, in his Collectanea Critica in Novum Testa-
mentum ; and the various readings discovered by him are incorporated
by Dr. Schulzin his edition of Griesbach's Greek Testament, where it
is numbered 246. l
6. The CODEX REGIUS, formerly 2244. 2 at present 50., (noted
Paris. 6. by Kuster, 13. by Wetstein, and * 13. by Griesbach,) is a
manuscript of the four Gospels in the Royal Library at Paris. Though
not more antient, probably, than the thirteenth century 9 it is pro-
nounced by Michaelis to be of very great importance: it has the
following chasms, which were first discovered by Griesbach, viz.
Matt. i.l. ii. 21.; xxvi. 33 53.; xxvii. 26. xxviii.10.; Mark i. 2.
to the end of the chapter ; and John xxi. 2. to the end of the Gospel.
The various readings from this manuscript given by Kuster and
Wetstein are very inaccurate. Matt. xiii. xiv. and xv. were the only
three chapters actually collated by Griesbach, who expresses a wish
that the whole manuscript might be completely and exactly collated,
especially the latter chapters of the Gospels of Luke and John. In
consequence of this manuscript harmonising in a very eminent man-
ner with the quotations of Origen, he refers it to the Alexandrine
edition, though he says it has a certain mixture of the Western. 2
7- The CODEX LEICESTKENSIS derives its name from being the
property of the Corporation of Leicester 3 : it is a manuscript of the
whole New Testament, written by a modern hand, partly on paper,
and partly on vellum, chiefly the former, and is referred by Wetstein
and Griesbach to the fourteenth century. It is noted by Dr. Mill by
the letter L., in the first part of Wets tern's New Testament Codex,
69.; in the second, 37-; in the third, 31. ; and in the fourth, 14.; and
by Griesbach, 69. The book of Acts is inserted between the epistle
to the Hebrews and that of Saint James. This manuscript is de-
fective from the beginning as far as Matt, xviii. 15., and has also the
following chasms, viz. Acts x. 45. xiv. 7- Jude 7. to the end of that
Epistle, and it concludes with part of liev.xix. It has many peculiar
i Dermout, Collectanea Critica in N. T. Pars I. p. 14.
* Michaelis, vol. i. parti, pp. 302, 303.^- Griesbach's Symbolae Critlcas, vol. i. pp, cliv.
- clxiv. Nov. Test. vol. i. p. cv.
3 In a critique on the second edition of this work, in the Eclectic Review for January,
1822, (vol. xvii. N. S, p. 83.) it is stated, that when the writer of that article made en-
quiry respecting the Codex Leicestrcnsis, it was r.o longer to be found in the Library of
the Town Hall at Leicester. Anxious, for the interest of sacred literature, to ascertain
the rea/fact, the author of the present work requested Mr. Combe (an eminent bookseller
at, that place, to whom he thus gladly makes his acknowledgments,) to make the requisite
investigation. The result of Mr. Combe's critical researches is, that the Codex Ldcestrensis
is still carefully preserved. Mr. C. further collated the author's account of it (which had
been drawn up from the notices of Wetstein and Michaelis,) with the manuscript itself,
and this collation has enabled him to niake the description above given more complete as well
as more correct*
156 Account of the principal Manuscripts [Part I. Ch. III.
readings; and in those which are not confined to it, this manuscript
chiefly agrees with D. or the Codex Cantabrigiensis : it also harmo-
nises in a very eminent manner with the old Syriac version ; and,
what further proves its value, several readingS5\vhich Dr. Mill found
in it alone, have been confirmed by other manuscripts that belong to
totally different countries. The Codex Leicestrensis was first collated
by him, and afterwards more accurately by Mr. Jackson, the learned
editor of Novatian's works, whose extracts were used by Wetstein.
There is another and still more accurate transcript of Mr. J/s collation
in his copy of Mill's edition of the Greek Testament, which is now-
preserved in the library of Jesus College, Cambridge, where it is
marked O, 0, I. 1
8. The CODEX VINDOBONENSIS, Lambecii 31. (124-. of Griesbach,)
is a manuscript of the four Gospels, written in the eleventh or twelfth
century : it has been collated by Treschow, Birch, and Alter. It is
of very great importance, and agrees with the Codex Cantabrigiensis
in not less than eighty unusual readings ; with the Codex Ephremi
in upwards of thirty-five; with the Codex Regius 2861.,, or Stephani ij,
in fifty; with the Codex Basileensis in more than fifty, and has
several which are found in that manuscript alone ; with the Codex
Regius 2244~, in sixty unusual readings; and with the Codex Col-
bertinus 2844., in twenty-two. 2
9. The CODEX EBNERIANUS is a very neat manuscript of the New
Testament in quarto, formerly in the possession of Hieronymus
Ebner Von Eschenbach of that city, from whom its appellation is
derived : it is now the property of the University of Oxford, and is
deposited among the other precious manuscripts preserved in the
Bodleian Library. The Codex Ebnerianus contains 4-25 leaves of
vellum, and was written in the year 1391. The whole of the New
Testament is comprised in this volume, excepting the Book of Re-
velation : each page contains 27 lines, at equal distances, excepting
those in which the different books commence, or which are decorated
with illuminations. Besides the New Testament, the Eusebian Ca-
nons are introduced, together with the lessons for particular festivals,
and a menologitmi used in the Greek church, &c. The book is
bound in massy silver covers, in the centre of which the Redeemer of
the World is represented sitting on a throne, and in the act of pro-
nouncing a blessing. Above his head is the following inscription, in
square letters, exhibiting the style in which the capitals are written :
Aso-TTora ewAoyiyO'ov rov SowXcv trou sAop^irrov Icpovvpov louAisAjuc-OV xui
ryv Qtxixv avrov. " Lord, bless the least of thy servants, Hieronymus
Gulielmus, and his family." Of the style of writing adopted in the
body of the manuscript, the annexed engraving will afford a correct
i Michaelis, vol.ii^part.i. pp. 355 357. partii. pp. 749, 750. Bp. Marsh adds, "This
copy of Mill's Greek Testament, with Jackson's marginal readings, is a treasure of sacred
criticism, which deserves to be communicated to the public. It contains the result of all
h& labours in that branch of literature ; it supplies many of the defects of Mill, and cor-
Tects many of his errors: and, besides quotations from manuscripts and antient versions, it
contains a copious collection of readings from many of the fathers, which have hitherto been
very imperfectly collated, or wholly neglected." Ibid. p. 7 SO.
4 MichaeliS; vol. ii, part ii. p. 870.
Plate VIII.
Z> ^J -arcLfaj cujo
^ *. **** ' *~ _ *C\ NiN
CULJI oy^ v^l 1 M~ O11 QfcfiM^p
"T^ Xa - cf> cuV ^ K CM. H oito
&* E 6|J to ^C/6^ ^r ^/^
Facsimile of the CODEX EBNERIANUS, a Manuscript executed A.D. 1391.
Sect. III. 4-.] Containing the New Testament. 157
idea, and at the same time exemplify the abbreviations frequent in
Greek manuscripts of the 12th and 13th centuries* Our specimen
comprises the ten first verses of the first chapter of Saint John's
Gospel ; the abbreviations, though very numerous, being uniformly
the same, do not interpose any material difficulty to the easy perusal
of the manuscript Wetstein, though he has "admitted it into his
catalogue, has made use of it only in the eighteenth chapter of Saint
John's Gospel; Michaelis has classed it among the uncollated ma-
nuscripts of the New Testament 1 It is to be hoped that some learned
member of the University of Oxford will publish a collation of all the
various readings which may be found in this manuscript.
10. The CODEX OTTOBONIANUS 298. is one of the manuscripts
preserved in the Vatican Library, and was written in the fifteenth
century. It contains the Acts and Apostolic Epistles, and was col-
lated by Dr. Scholz for his intended critical edition of the New Tes-
tament It is here noticed on account of its containing the disputed
clause in 1 John v. 7 ? 8., in -the following manner: of fj,otprvpovvTe$
GtTTQ TQV OUpClVQ TTdTflp AoyO XOil TTVcVjU-fit GtylQV XOil ol TpSIf Slf TO SV SlFl
K&.\ rpsi$ SKTIV ol pxprupouvTsg OLVO T>]J yjf, TO Tn/sujLta, &c. &c. This
manuscript has been altered in many places, in order to make it har-
monise with the Latin Vulgate 2 ; on this account, as well as its late
date, it can be of little value in sacred criticism, except where it
corroborates the readings of MSS. of better authority and of earlier
date. Its principal readings are given by M.Dermout in his Collec-
tanea Critica in Novum Testamentum.
XXL The limits assigned to this work forbid any further detail
respecting the other manuscripts of the New Testament. Referring
the reader, therefore, to the elaborate volumes of Michaelis, who has
given a catalogue raisonne of two hundred and ninety-two manuscripts,
to which his annotator Bishop Marsh has added one hundred and
seventy- seven 3 , we proceed briefly lo notice two collations of manu-
scripts, which in the seventeenth century produced a warm contest be-
tween biblical critics of different denominations.
1. In 1673, Pierre POUSSINES (Petrus Possinus), a learned Jesuit,
i See "VVetstein's N. T. Proleg, p. 58. B p. Marsh's Michaelis, vol. ii- parti, p. 258.
De Murr*s Memorabilia Bibliothecae Norimb. partii. pp. 100131. where the Codes
Ebnerianus is minutely described and illustrated \vith thirteen plates of illuminations, &c.
which arc very curious in an antiquarian point of view. Our engraving is copied from one
of De Murr's fac-similes.
9 Scholz, Biblischc Critische Rcisc, p. 105.
3 Michaelis, vol. ii. parti, pp. 185361. partii. pp. 649 835. Professor Beck, in
his Monogrammata Hermeneutices Librorum Novi Fojderis, (parti, pp.42 ICO.) has
given a catalogue of all the manuscripts (394 in number) which are certainly known to
have been collated, exclusive of Lectionaria, Euchologia, or prayer books of the Greek
church, and Menologia or Martyrologies. In pp, 91 93. he has specified* by numbers
referring to his own catalogue, what manuscripts are written in uncial letters,- what con-
tain the entire New Testament, and how many contain the greater part, or particular books
of the New Testament, It seems to be precisely that sort of catalogue which Jlichaelis
recommends biblical students to make, in order that they may be enabled (when consulting
Mill or Wetstein) to judge of the proportion of manuscripts which are in favour of a
reading to those which decide against "it, The total number of manuscripts collated by
Griesbach for his edition of the New Testament, was three hundred and fifty-five. He has
given a list of them in his Prolegomena, torn. i. pp. ci. cxxvi. and also critical accounts,
of the most important manuscripts in the two volumes of his Symbols? Critic ae,
158 Principal Manuscripts of the Ne Testament. [Part I. Ch.
published Extracts from twenty-two manuscripts, which, he said, were
in the library of Cardinal Barberini at Rome, and had been collated
by order of Pope Urban VIII., by John Matthaeus Caryophilus.
Dr. Mill inserted these extracts among his various readings ; but as
it was not known for a long time what had become of the Barberini
manuscripts, and as the readings of the Barberini collation are for the
most part in favour of the Latin Vulgate version, Wetstein, Semler,
arid other Protestant divines, accused Poussines of a literary fraud.
Of this, however, he was acquitted by Isaac Vossius, who found the
manuscript of Caryophilus in the Barberini Library ; and the imput-
ation against the veracity of that eminent Greek scholar has been com-
pletely destroyed by M. Birch, a learned Danish divine, who recognised
in the Vatican Library six of the manuscripts from which Caryophilus
had made extracts. 2
2. Another Jesuit, John Louis DE LA CERDX\, inserted in his
Advwsaria Sacra., which appeared at Lyons in 1 696, a collation of
sixteen manuscripts (eight of which were borrowed from the library
of the king of Spain) which had been made by Pedro Faxardo,
Marquis of Velez, From these manuscripts, the marquis inserted
various readings in his copy of the Greek Testament, but without
specifying what manuscripts in particular, or even how many in
general, were in favour of each quoted reading. The "remarkable
agreement between the Velesian readings and those of the Vulgate
excited the suspicions of Mariana (who communicated them toDela
Cerda) that Velez had made use only of interpolated manuscripts,
that had been corrected agreeably to the Latin Vulgate, subsequently
to the council of Florence. However this may be, the collation of
Velez will never be of any utility in the criticism of the New Testament,
unless the identical manuscripts, which he made use of, should here-
after be discovered in any Spanish library. But such a discovery
must be considered as hopeless after the laborious and careful re-
searches made by Bishop Marsh, relative to this collation of Velez, who
(he has proved to demonstration) did NOT collate one single Greek or
Latin manuscript,but took his various lections from Robert Stephens's
edition of the Latin Vulgate, published at Paris in 1540; that the
object which the marquis had in view, in framing this collection of
readings, was to support, not the Vulgate in general, but the text of
this edition in particular, wherever it varied from the text of Stephens's
Give/c Testament printed in 1550; and that with this view he tran-
slated into Greek the readings of the former, which varied from the
latter, except where Stephens's Greek margin supplied him with
the readings which he wanted, where he had only to transcribe, and
not to translate. 3
1 At the end of his Catena Patrum Graecorum in Marcurn. Poussines prefixed to
these extracts the title of CollatL-nes Greed Contextus omnium Librorum Nmi Testamenti
juxia editionem Antcerpensem regiam, cum xxti Antiquis Codicibus Manuscriptis. JSx
JBibtiothcca Barberini.
2 Michaelis, vol. u. parti, pp. <2 12 216. partli. pp.66G, 667. Birch, Quatuor Evan-
gelm, Prolcgom. p. 36. Ejusdwu, Varim Lectiones ad Test. iv. Evangel. Proles, p xlii.
Hafnia?, 1801, 8vo. ' *
3 Michaelis, vol.ii. parti, pp. 351354, partii. pp. 824, 825. Mr. (now Bishop)
IV. Sect. L] Divisions occurring in tlie Old Testament. 159
CHAPTER IV.
ON THE DIVISIONS AND MARKS OF DISTINCTION OCCURRING IN
MANUSCRIPTS AND PRINTED EDITIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES.
SECTION L
ON THE DIVISIONS AND MARKS OF DISTINCTION OCCURRING IN THE
OLD TESTAMENT.
I. "Different Appellations given to the Scriptures. II. General Divisions
of the Canonical Books. III. Particularly of the Old Testament.
1. The Law. 2. The Prophets. 3. The Cetubim or Hagiographa.
IV. Account of the Masora. V. Modern Divisions of the Books of
the Old Testament. Chapters and Verses.
L 1 HE collection of writings, which is regarded by Christians as
the sole standard of their faith and practice, has been distinguished 3
at various periods, by different appellations. Thus, it is frequently
termed the Scriptures 3 the Sacred or Holy Scriptures, and some-
times the Canonical Scriptures. This collection is called The
Scriptures, as being the most important of all Writings ; the Holy
or Sacred Scriptures, because they were composed by persons di-
vinely inspired ; and the Canonical Scriptures^ either because they
are a rule of faith and practice to those who receive them ; or
because, when the number and authenticity of these books were
ascertained, lists of them were inserted in the ecclesiastical canons
or catalogues, in order to distinguish them from such books as were
apocryphal or of uncertain authority, and unquestionably not of di-
vine origin. But the most usual appellation is that of the BIBLE
a word which in its primary import simply denotes a book, but which
is given to the writings of the prophets and apostles, by way of emi-
nence, as being the Book of Books, infinitely superior in excellence
to every unassisted production of the human mind. *
II. The most common and general division of the canonical books
is that of the Old and New Testament; the former containing those
revelations of the divine will which were communicated to the He-
brews, Israelites, or Jews, before the birth of Christ, and the latter
comprising the inspired writings of the evangelists and apostles. The
appellation of Testament is derived from 2 Cor. iii. 6. 14-.; in which
place the words vj *xaXcx.ia >]x>j and f\ xcuvy Siadijx)] are by the old
Latin translators rendered antiquum tcstamentwn and novum testamen-
tum? old and new testament, instead of antiquum fcedus and novum
fceduS) the old and new covenant ; for although the Greek word
SjaSvjK>j signifies both testament and covenant, yet it uniformly cor-
responds with the Hebrew word Berith, which constantly signifies a
covenant. 2 The term " old covenant," used by Saint Paul in
Marsh's Letters to Archdeacon Travis, p.67.j and the Appendix to that work, (pp.253
344.) in which a minute detail of tlie Velebiaii readings is given, as also in Christian
Benedict Michaelis's Tractatio Critica dc Variis Lectionibus Novi Testament!, S7
89. (pp. 96 101.) 4to. Halae Magdeburgicae, 1749.
1 Lardner's Works, 8vo. vol. vi. pp.1 8. 4to, vol. iii. pp.137 140, Jalin, In-
trod. ad Vet. Feed. p. 7.
2 Jerome, Comment, in Malachi, cap. ii. op, torn, iii. p. 1816*
160 Divisions and Marks of Distinction [Part I. Ch.
2 Cor. iii. 1 4?. 9 does not denote the entire collection of writings which we
term the Bible, but those antient institutions, promises, threaten ings,
and, in short, the whole of the Mosaic dispensation, related in the Pen*
tateuchj and in the writings of the prophets ; and which in process
of time were, by a metonymy, transferred to the books themselves.
Thus we find mention made of the book of the covenant in Exodus
(xxiv. 7.)j and in the apocryphal book of Maccabees (Mace. i. 57.) :
and after the example of the apostle, the same mode, of designating
the sacred writings obtained among the first Christians, from whom
it lias been transmitted to modern times. 1
III. The arrangement of the books comprising the Old Testa-
ment, which is adopted in our Bibles, is not always regulated by the
exact time when the books were respectively written ; although the
book of Genesis is universally allowed to be the first, and the pro-
phecy of Malachi to be the latest of the inspired writings. Previously
to the building of Solomon's temple, the Pentateuch was deposited
in the side of the ark of the covenant (Dent xxxi. 24 26.), to be
consulted by the Israelites; and after the erection of that sacred
edifice, it was deposited in the treasury, together with all the suc-
ceeding productions of the inspired writers. On the subsequent de-
struction of the temple by Nebuchadnezzar, the autographs of the
sacred books are supposed to have perished : although some learned
men have conjectured that they were preserved, because it does not
appear that Nebuchadnezzar evinced any particular enmity against
the Jewish religion; and in the account of the sacred things carried
to Babylon (2 Kings xxv. 2 Chron. xxxvi. Jer. Iii.), no mention is
made of the sacred books. However this may be, it is a fact, that
copies of these autographs were carried to Babylon : for we find the
prophet Daniel quoting the law (Ban. ix. 11. 13.), and also expressly
mentioning the prophecies of Jeremiah (ix. 2.), which he could not
have done, if he had never seen them. We are further informed
that on the rebuilding, or rather on the finishing, of the temple in
the sixth year of Darius, the Jewish worship was fully re-established
according as it is written m the book of Moses (Ezra vi. 18.) : which
would have been impracticable, if the Jews had not had copies of the
law then among them. But what still more clearly proves that they
must have had transcripts of their sacred writings during, as well as
subsequent to, the Babylonish captivity, is the fact, that when the
people requested Ezra to produce the law of Moses (Nehem. viii. 1.),
they did not entreat him to get it dictated anew to them ; but that
he would bring forth the book of the law of Moses 9 which the Lord
had commanded to Israel.
About fifty years after the rebuilding of the temple, and the con-
sequent re-establishment of the Jewish religion, it is generally admit-
ted that the canon of the Old Testament was settled^; but by whom
this great work was accomplished, is a question on which there is con-
siderable difference of opinion. On the one hand it is contended, that
it could not have been done by Ezra himself; because, though he has
* Dr. Lardner has collected several passages from early Christians writers, who thus
metonymicaliy use the word Testament. Works,, Svo. vol. vi. j>. 9. 4to. vol. iii. p. HO.
IV. Sect. I.] Occurring in the Old Testament. 161
related his zealous efforts in restoring the law and worship of Jehovah,
yet concerning the settlement of the canon he is totally silent; and the
silence of Nehemiah 3 who has recorded the pious labours of Ezra, as
well as the silence of Josephus, who is diffuse in his encomiums on
him, has further been urged as a presumptive argument why he could
not have collected the Jewish writings. But to these hypothetical
reasonings we may oppose the constant tradition of the Jewish church,
micontradicted both by their enemies and by Christians, that Ezra,
with the assistance of the members of the great synagogue (among
whom were the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi), did col-
lect as many copies of the sacred writings as lie could, and from them
set forth a correct edition of the canon of the Old Testament, with
the exception of his own writings, the book of Nehemiah, and the
prophecy of Malachi \ which were subsequently annexed to the canon
by Simon the Just, who is said to ha^ been the last of the great
synagogue. In this Esdrine text, the errors of the former copyists
were corrected : and Ezra (being himself an inspired writer) added
in several places, throughout the books of this edition, what appeared
necessary to illustrate, connect, or complete them. 1 Whether Ezra's
own copy of the Jewish Scriptures perished in the pillage of the temple
by Antiochus Epiphanes, is a question that cannot now by ascertained :
nor is it material, since we know that Judas Maccabaeus repaired the
temple, and replaced every thing requisite for the performance of ,
divine worship (1 Mace. iv. 36 59.), which included a correct, if not
Ezra's own, copy of the Scriptures. 2 It is not improbable, that in this
latter temple an ark was constructed, in which the sacred books of the
Jews were preserved until the destruction of Jerusalem and the sub-
version of the Jewish polity by the Romans under Titus, before whom
the volume of the law was carried in triumph, among the other spoils
which had been taken at Jerusalem. 3 Since that time, although there
has been no certain standard edition of the Old Testament, yet, since
both Jews and Christians have constantly had the same Hebrew
Scriptures to which they have always appealed, we have every possi-
ble evidence to prove that the Old Testament has been transmitted
to us entire, and free from any material or designed corruption.
The various books contained in the Old Testament, were
divided by the Jews into three parts or classes the Law the
Prophets and the Cetubim, or Hagiographa, that is, the Holy
Writings: which division obtained in the time of our Saviour 4 ,
1 Prideaux*s Connection, parti, bookv. sub anno 44 6* vol. i. pp.329 344, and the'
authorities there cited. Carpzov. Introd. ad Libros Biblicos Vet. Test* pp. 24. 808, 309.
2 Bishop Tomline's Elements of Christian Theology, vol. i. p. 1 1.
3 Josephus dc Bell. Jud. lib. vii, c. 5. 5.
4 These are the wards which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things
might be fulfilled which are written in the LAW, and in the PnorHKrs, and in the PSALMS,
concerning me. (Lukexxiv. 44.) In which passage by the Psalms is intended the
Hagiographa ; which division beginning with the Psalms^ the whole of it (agreeably to
the Jewish manner of quoting) is there called by the name of the book with which it
commences. Saint Peter also, when appealing to prophecies in proof of the Gospel, says
te All the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have
likewise foretold of these days/* (Actsiii. 24.) In which passaget he apostle plainly in-
cludes the books of Samuel in the class of prophets.
VOL, IT. ' M
Divisions and Maries of Distinction [Part I. Ch.
and is noticed by Josephus 1 , though he does not enumerate the
several books.
1. The LAW (so called, because it contains precepts for the regula-
tion of life and manners) comprised the Pentateuch, or five books of
Moses, ^hich were originally written in one volume, as all the manu-
scripts are to this day, which are read in the synagogues. It is not known
when the writings of the Jewish legislator were divided intojfa? books :
but, as the titles of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuter-
onomy, are evidently of Greek origin, (for the tradition related by Philo,
and adopted by some writers of the Romish church, that they were given
by Moses himself, is too idle to deserve refutation,) it is not improbable
that these titles were prefixed to the several books by the authors of the
Alexandrian or Septuagint Greek version.
2* The PROPHETS, which were thus designated, because these books
were written by inspired prophetical men, were divided into the former
and latter 2 ) with regard to the time when they respectively flourished : the
former prophets contained the books of Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel,
and 1 and 2 Kings, the two last being each considered as one book ; the
latter prophets comprised the writings of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and
of the twelve minor prophets, whose books were reckoned as one. The
reason why Moses is not included among the prophets, is, because he
so far surpassed all those who came after him, in eminence and dignity,
that they were not accounted worthy to be placed on a level with him :
and the books of Joshua and Judges are reckoned among the propheti-
cal books, because they are generally supposed to have been written by
' the prophet Samuel.
3. The CETUBIM or HAGIOGRAPHA, that is, the Holy Writings, com-
prehended the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lament-
ations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah
(reckoned as one), and the two books of Chronicles, also reckoned as one
book. 3 This third class or division of the Sacred Books has received its
appellation of Cetubim or Holy Writings, because they were not orally
delivered, as the law of Moses was ; but the Jews affirm that they were
composed by men divinely inspired, who, however, had no public mission
as prophets : and the Jews conceive that they were dictated not by
dreams, visions, or voice, or in other ways, as the oracles of the pro-
phets were, but that they were more immediately revealed to the minds
t*f their authors. It is remarkable that Daniel is excluded from the num-
ber of prophets, and that his writings, with the rest of the Hagiographa,
were not publicly read in the synagogues as theLawand the Prophets were:
this is ascribed to the singular rainutenesss with which he foretold the com-
ing of the Messiah before the destruction of the city and sanctuary (Dan.
ix.) and the apprehension of the Jews, lest the public reading of his pre-
dictions should lead any to embrace the doctrines of Jesus Christ. 4
The Pentateuch is divided into fifty or fifty-four ParaschiotJi^ or
1 Contr. Apion. lib. i. 8.
2 This distinction, Carpzov thinks, was borrowed from Zech, i. 4. " Be ye not as
your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried." Introd. ad Lib. Bibl. Vet-
Test, p. 146.
3 The Soiig of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, are, in the
modern copies of the Jewish Scriptures, placed immediately after the Pentateuch - f under
the nanae of the five MegiMoth or volumes. The Book of Ruth holds sometimes the first
or second, and sometimes the fifth place.
** Hottinger's Thesaurus, p. 5 10. Leusden's Philologus Hebranis, Diss. ii. pp.13 22,
Bishop's Oan's Scholastical Hist, of the Canon, c.ii. pp. 10. et seq.
IV. Sect. L] Occurring in the Old Testament. 163
larger sections, according as the Jewish lunar year is simple or in-
tercalary ; one of which sections was read in the synagogue every
Sabbath-day : this division many of the Jews suppose to have been
appointed by Moses, but it is by others attributed, and with greater
probability, to Ezra. These paraschioth were further subdivided
into smaller sections termed Siderim, or orders. Until the persecu-
tion of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Jews read only the law; but the
reading of it being then prohibited, they substituted for it fifty-four
HapJitoroth* or sections from the prophets. Subsequently, however,
when the reading of the law was restored by the Maccabees, the
section which had been read from the Law was used for the first,
and that from the Prophets, for the second lesson. 1 These sections
were also divided into Pesukim, or verses, which have likewise been
ascribed to Ezra ; but if not contrived by him, it appears that this
subdivision was introduced shortly after his death : it was probably
intended for the use of the Targumists or Chaldee interpreters.
After the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, when
the Hebrew language had ceased to be spoken, and the Chaldee
became the vernacular tongue, it was (as we have already remarked 2 )
usual to read the law, first in the original Hebrew, and afterwards
to interpret it to the people in the Chaldee dialect. For the purpose
of exposition, therefore, these shorter periods were very convenient. 3
IV. Originally, the text of the Sacred Books was written without
any breaks or divisions into chapters or verses, or even into words $
so that a whole book r as written in the antient manner^ was, in fact,
but one continued word. Many antient Greek and Latin manu-
scripts thus written are still extant. The sacred writings having
undergone an infinite number of alterations by successive transcrip-
tions, during the lapse of ages, whence various readings had arisen,
the Jews had recourse to a canon, which they judged to be infallible,
in order to fix and ascertain the reading of the Hebrew text, and this
rule they called Masora or tradition, as if this critique were nothing
but a tradition which they had received from their ancestors. Ac-
cordingly, they pretend, that, when God gave the law to Moses on
Mount Sinai, he taught him, first, its true reading^ and, secondly,
its true interpretation ; and that both these were handed down by
oral tradition, from generation to generation, until at length they
were committed to writing. The former of these, viz. the true read-
ing, is the subject of the Masora ; the latter or true interpretation
1 Of these divisions we have evident traces in the New Testament ; thus, the section
(vepioxn] of the prophet Isaiah, which the Ethiopian eunuch was reading, was, in all pro-
bability, that which related to the sufferings of the Messiah, (Acts viii. 32.) When Saintf
Paul entered into the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia, he stood up to preach after the
reading of the Law and the Propluets (Acts xiii. 15.); that is, after reading the first lesson
out of the Law, and the second lesson out of the Prophets. And in the very discourse
which he then delivered, he tells the Jews that the Prophets were read at Jerusalem on
every Sabbath-day, that' is, in those lessons which were taken out of the Prophets.
(Acts xiii. 27.)
2 See pp. 5, 6^ supra, of this volume.
' In Vol. Ill, Part /Chap. III. Sect. IV. we have given a table of the Paraschioth or
Sections of the Law, together with the Haphtoroth or Sections of the Prophets as they are
read in the different Jewish synagogues for every sabbath of the year, and also showing
the portions corresponding with our modern divisions of chapters and verses*
M 2
Divisions and Marks of Distinction [Part I. Ch.
is that of the Mis/ma and Gemara, of which an account is given in
a subsequent chapter of the present volume.
The Masoretic notes and criticisms relate to the books, verses,
words, letterSj vowel points, and accents. The Masorites or Masso-
rets, as the inventors of this system were called, were the first who
distinguished the books and sections of books into verses. They
marked the number of all the verses of each book and section, and
placed the amount at the end of each in numeral letters, or in some
symbolical word formed out of them ; and they also marked the
middle verse of each book. Further, they noted the verses where
something was supposed to be forgetten ; the words which they be-
lieved to be changed ; the letters which they deemed to be super-
fluous ; the repetitions of the same verses ; the different reading of the
words which are redundant or defective ; the number of times that
the same word is found at the beginning, middle, or end of a verse ;
the different significations of the same word ; the agreement or con-
junction of one word with another; what letters are pronounced,
and what are inverted, together with such as hang perpendicularly,
and they took the number of each, for the Jews cherish the sacred
books with such reverence, that they make*a scruple of changing
the situation of a letter which is evidently misplaced ; supposing
that some mystery has occasioned the alteration. They have like-
wise reckoned which is the middle letter of the. Pentateuch, which
Is the middle clause of each book, and how many times each letter
of the alphabet occurs in all the Hebrew Scriptures. The following
table from Bishop Walton will give an idea of their laborious mi-
nuteness in these researches.
Times.
Times.
Jf Aleph occurs in the
42377
H Latned occurs in the
41517
- J$ e th Hebrew Bible
38218
*3 Mem Hebrew Bible
77778
J Gimel
29537
J Nun
41696
-f Daleth
32530
Q Sarnech
13580
n He -
47554?
V Ain
20175
T Vau
76922
J Pe
22725
} Zain
22867
Tsaddi
21882
n Chetfa
23447
p Koph
22972
ft Teth
11052
1 Resh
22147
9 Yod
66420
$} Shin
32148
3 Caph
48253
HTau
59343*
* Bishop Walton's Prolegom. c. riii. 8. p. 275, edit. Dathiu In the last century,
an anonymous writer published the following calculation (copied from the Encyclopaedia
PerthensisJ similar to that of the Masorites, for the ENGLISH VERSION of the Bible, under
the title of the Old and New Testament Dissected. It is said to have occupied three years
of the compiler's lift, and is a singular instance of the trifling employments to which
superstition has led mankind.
THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT DISSECTED,
Books in the Old * 39
Chapters - - 929
Verses - 23,214
Words - 592,439
Letters . 2,728,800
In the New -
27
- 260
- 7,959
181,253
838,380
Total -
66
s . 1,189
31,173
- 773,692
- 3,567,180
IV. Sect. L] Occurring in the Old Testament. 165
Such is the celebrated Masora of the Jews. At first, it did not
accompany the .text ; afterwards the greatest part of it was written,
in the margin. In order to bring it within the margin, it became
necessary to abridge the work itself. This abridgment was called
the little Masora, Masora parva ; but, being found too short, a more
copious abridgment was inserted, which was distinguished by the
appellation of the great Masora, Masora magna. The omitted parts
were added at the end of the text, and called the final Masora,
Masora Jinalis. *
Lastly, in Jewish manuscripts and printed editions of the Old
Testament, a word is often found with a small circle annexed to it, or
with an asterisk over it, and a word written in the margin of the same
line. The former is called the Ketib, that is, ^mritten^ and the latter,
Keri> that is, read or reading, as if to intimate, write in this manner,
but read in that manner. For instance, when they meet with certain
words, they substitute others : thus, instead of the sacred name Je-
hovah, they substitute Adonai or Elohim ; and in lieu of terms not
strictly consistent with decency, they pronounce others less indelicate
or more agreeable to our ideas of propriety. 2 * The invention of
these marginal corrections has been ascribed to the Masorites.
The age when the Masorites lived has been much controverted.
Some ascribe the Masoretic notes to Moses ; others attribute them
to Ezra and the members of the great synagogue, and their suc-
cessors after the restoration of the temple-worship, on the death of
Antiochus Epiphanes. Archbishop Usher places the Masorites
before the time of Jerome ; Cappel, at the end of the fifth century;
Apocrypha*
Chapters - - 183
Verses - - 6,081
Words - - 252,185
The middle chapter, and the least in the Bible, is Psalm 117.
The middle verse is the eighth of the 1 J 8th Psalm.
The middle line 2d of Chronicles, 4th chapter, 16th verse.
The word and occurs in the Old Testament, 35,543 times.
The same word occurs in the New Testament, 10,684 times*
The word Jehovah occurs 6855 time.
Old Testament.
The middle book is Proverbs.
The middle chapter is Job 29th.
The middle verse is 2d Chronicles, 20th chapter, between the 17th and
18th verses.
The least verse is 1st Chronicles, 1st chapter and 25th verse.
New Testament.
The middle book is Thessalonians 2d.;
The middle chapter is between the 13th and 14th Romans.
The middle verse is chapter 17th of Acts, 17th verse.
The least verse is 1 1 th Chapter of John, verse 35.
The 2 1st verse of the 7th chapter of Ezra has all the Letters in the Alphabet except j.
The 19th chapter of the 2d of Kings and the 37th of Isaiah are alike.
1 Butler's Horoe Biblicse, vol. i. p. 61.
& The reader will find a learned and elaborate elucidation of the Keri in the Rev. John
Whittaker's Historical and Critical Inquiry into the Interpretation of the Hebrew Scrip-
tures, pp. 114178.
M 3
166 Divisions and Marks of Distinction [Part L Ch.
Bishop Marsh is of opinion, that they cannot be dated higher than
the fourth or fifth century ; Bishop Walton, Basnage, Jahn, and
others, refer them to the rabbins of Tiberias in the sixth century,
and suppose that they commenced the Masora, which was augmented
and continued at different times by various authors ; so that it was
not the work of one man, or of one age. In proof of this opinion,
which we think the most probable, we may remark, that the notes
which relate to the variations in the pointing of particular words,
must have been made after the introduction of the points, and con-
sequently after the Talmud ; other notes must have been made before
the Talmud was finished, because it is from these notes that it speaks
of the points over the letters, and of the variations in their size and
position. Hence it is evident, that the whole was not the work of
the Masorites of Tiberias ; further, no good reason can be assigned
to prove the Masora the work of Ezra, or his contemporaries ; much
appears to show it was not: for, in thejfirst place, most of the notes
relate to the vowel points, which, we have seen \ were not intro-
duced until upwards of fifteen hundred years after his time, and the
remarks made about the shape and position of the letters are un-
worthy of an inspired writer, being more adapted to the superstition
of the rabbins, than to the gravity of a divine teacher. Secondly^
No one can suppose that the prophets collected various readings of
their own prophecies, though we find this has been done, and makes
part of what is called the Masora. Thirdly The rabbins have
never scrupled to abridge, alter, or reject any part of these notes,
and to intermix their own observations, or those of others, which is
a proof that they did not believe them to be the work of the prophets;
for in that case they would possess equal authority with the text,
and should be treated with the same regard. Lastly, Since all that
is useful in the Masora appears to have been written since Ezra's
time, it is impossible to ascribe to him what is useless and trifling ;
and from these different reasons it may be concluded that no part
of the Masora was written by Ezra, And even though we were to
admit that he began it, that would not lead us to- receive the present
system in the manner the Jews, do, because, stride we cannot now
distinguish what he wrote, and since we find many things in it plainly
unworthy of an inspired writer, we may justly refuse it the credit
due to inspiration, unless his part were actually separated from what
is the work of others. On the whole, then, it appears, that what is
called the Masora is intitled to no greater Reverence or attention
than may be claimed by any other human compilation/ 2
Concerning the value of the Masoretic system of notation, the
learned are greatly divided in opinion. Some have highly eom-
mended the undertaking, and have considered the work of the
Masorites as a monument of stupendous labour and unwearied assi-
duity, and as an admirable invention for delivering the sacred text
from a multitude of equivocations and perplexities to which it was
liable, and for putting a stop to the unbounded licentiousness and
1 Se pp. 812, of the present volume.
, Waehner's Antiquitatcs Hebraeorum, vol. i. pp. 93137,
IV. Sect. I.] Occurring in the Old Testament. 167
rashness of transcribers and critics, who often made alterations in
the text on their own private authority. Others, however, have
altogether censured the design, suspecting that the Masorites cor-
rupted the purity of the text by substituting, for the antient and true
reading of their forefathers, another reading more favourable to their
prejudices, and more opposite to Christianity, whose testimonies and
proofs they were desirous of weakening as much as possible,
Without adopting either of these extremes, Bishop Marsh ob-
serves, that " the text itself, as regulated by the learned Jews of
Tiberias, was probably the result of a collation of manuscripts. But
as those Hebrew critics were cautious of introducing too many cor-
rections into the text, they noted in the margins of their manuscripts,
or in their critical collections, such various readings derived from
other manuscripts, either by themselves or by their predecessors, as
appeared to be worthy of attention. This is the real origin of those
marginal or Masoretic readings which we find in many editions of
the Hebrew Bible. But the propensity of the later Jews to seek
mystical meanings in the plainest facts gradually induced the belief
that both textual and marginal readings proceeded from the sacred
writers themselves ; and that the latter were transmitted to posterity
by oral tradition, as conveying some mysterious application of the
Britten words. They were regarded, therefore, as materials, not of
criticism^ but of interpretation" 1 The same eminent critic else-
where remarks, that notwithstanding all the care of the Masorites
to preserve the sacred text without variations, " if their success has
not been complete, either in establishing or preserving the Hebrew-
text, they have been guilty of the only fault which is common to
every human effort." 2
V. The divisions of the Old Testament, which now generally ob-
tain, are four in number : namely, 1. The Pentateuch, or five books
of Moses ; 2. The Historical Booh, comprising Joshua to Esther
inclusive; 3. The Doctrinal or Poetical Booh of Job, Psalms,
the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon ; and, 4*
The Prophetical Booh of Isaiah, Jeremiah with his Lamentations,
Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Twelve Minor Prophets. These are seve-
rally divided into chapters and verses, to facilitate reference, and
not primarily with a view to any natural division of the multifarious
subjects which they embrace: but by whom these divisions were
originally made is a question, concerning which there exists a con-
siderable difference of opinion,
That it is comparatively a modern invention is evident from its
being utterly unknown to the antient Christians, whose Greek Bibles,
indeed, had then Tn-Aoi and KetpaAaict ( Titles and Pleads) ; but the
jntent of these was, rather to point out the sum or contents of the
text, than to divide the various books. They also differed greatly
from the present chapters, many of them containing only a few
verses, and some of them not more than one. The invention of chap-
ters has by some been ascribed to Lanfranc, who was archbishop of
1 Lectures on Divinity, partii. p, 84. Ibid. p. 98i
M
168 Divisions and Marks of Distinction [Part I. Ch.
Canterbury in the reigns of William the Conqueror and William II. ;
while others attribute it to Stephen Langton, who was archbishop
of the same see in the reigns of John and Henry III, But the
real author of this very useful division was cardinal .Hugo de
Sancto Caro, who flourished about the middle of the 13th century,
and wrote a celebrated commentary on the Scriptures. Having
projected a concordance to the Latin Vulgate version, by which any
passage might be found, he divided both the Old and New Testa-
ments into chapters, which are the same we now have : these chap-
ters he subdivided into smaller portions, which he distinguished by
the letters A> B, C, D, E, F, and G, which are placed in the mar-
gin at equal distances from each other, according to the length of
the chapters. l The facility of reference thus afforded by Hugo's
divisions, having become known to Rabbi Mordecai Nathan, (or
Isaac Nathan, as he is sometimes called,) a celebrated Jewish teacher
in the fifteenth century, he undertook a similar concordance for the
Hebrew Scriptures ; but instead of adopting the marginal letters of
Hugo, he marked every fifth verse with a Hebrew numeral, thus,
ft 1. p[ 5, &c., retaining, however, the cardinal's divisions into chap-
ters. This concordance of Rabbi Nathan was commenced A. B. 1438,
and finished in 1445. The introduction of verses into the Hebrew-
Bible was made by Athias, a Jew of Amsterdam, in his celebrated
edition of the Hebrew Bible, printed in 1661, and reprinted in
1667- He marked every verse with the figures in common use,
except those which had been previously marked by Nathan with
Hebrew letters, in the manner in which they at present appear in
Hebrew Bibles. By rejecting these Hebrew numerals, and sub-
stituting for them the corresponding figures, all the copies of the
Bible in other languages have since been marked. 2 As, however,
the modern divisions and sub-divisions are not always made with
the strictest regard to the connexion of parts, it is greatly to be
wished that all future editions of the Scriptures might be printed
after the judicious manner adopted by Mr. Reeves in his equally-
beautiful and correct editions of the entire Bible ; in which the num-
bers of the verses and chapters are thrown into the margin, and the
metrical parts of Scripture are distinguished from the rest by being
printed in verses in the usual manner.
1 These divisions of cardinal Hugo may be seen in any of the older editions of the
Vulgate, and in the earlier English translations of the Bible, which were made from that
version, particularly in that usually called Taverner*s Bible, folio, London, 1539. The
precise year, in which Hugo divided the text of the Latin Vulgate into its present chap-
ters, is not known. But as it appears from tjhe preface to the Cologne edition of his
works, that he composed his Concordance about the year 1 248, and as his division of the
Vulgate into its present chapters was connected with that Concordance, it could not have
been done many years before the middle of the thirteenth century. Bp. Marsh's Lectures^
part v, p. 25, note 15.
2 Buxtorf, Praef. ad Concordant. Bibliorum Hebraeorum. Prideaux's Connexion,
vol. i. pp, 332 342. Carpzov. Introd. ad Libros Biblicos Vet. Test. pp. 27> 28. Leus-
den, Philol. Hebr. Diss. iii, pp. 2331, Ackermann, Introd, in Libros Saeros Vet,
Feed, pp, 100104,
IV. Sect. 1L] Occurring in the New Testament. 169
SECTION II.
ON THE DIVISIONS AND MARKS OF DISTINCTION OCCURRING- IN
THE NEW TESTAMENT.
I. Antient Divisions ofTtThoi and Ketpa\ata, Ammonian) Eusebian, and
Euthalian Sections. , Modern Division of Chapters. II. Account of
the Antient and Modern Punctuation of the New Testament. Antient
ZTIXQI and Modern Verses. III. Of the Titles to each Book. IV. Sub-
scriptions to the different Books.
IT is evident on inspecting the most antient manuscripts of the
New Testament, that the several books were originally written in
one continued series without any blank spaces between the words 1 ;
but in progress of time, when Christianity was established, and fre-
quent appeals were made to the sacred writers, in consequence of
the heresies that disturbed the peace of the church, it became ne-
cessary to contrive some mode by which to facilitate references to
their productions.
I. The Jews, we have already seen 12 , divided their law into pa-
raschioth and siderim, or larger and smaller sections, and the pro-
phets into haphtoroth or sections ; and this division most probably
suggested to the early Christians the idea of dividing the Books of
the New Testament into similar sections. The early Christian
teachers gave the name of Pericopa* to the sections read as lessons
by the Jews 3 : and Clement of Alexandria applies the same appel-
lation to larger sections of the Gospels and St. Paul's Epistles.
These pericopse then were Avayvcoo-^oerci, .church lessons or sections
of the New Testament, which were read in the assemblies for di-
vine worship after Moses and the Prophets.
Subsequently the antients divided the New Testament into two
kinds of chapters, some longer and others shorter ; the former were
called in Greek TJTAOJ, and in Latin breves ; and the table of con-
tents of each brevis, which was prefixed to the copies of the New
Testament, was called breviarium. The shorter chapters were called
xepa^aia, capitula, and the list of them, capititlatio.
This method of dividing is of very great antiquity, certainly prior
to the fourth century : for Jerome, who flourished towards the close
of that century, expunged a passage from Saint Matthew's Gospel
1 This is manifest from the strange manner 'in which the early fathers of the Christian
church have sometimes separated and united words in the passages which they have quotcdU
Thus instead of 5oaoW6 897 &pa, re rov eo*>, therefore glorify God (1 Cor. vi. 2Q.), Chry-
sostom read 5oa;raTe Zty &pare rov eov, glorify and carry God / and in this erroneous
reading he has been followed by the Latin translator, who has glorificate et portate Deum.
In like manner, in Phil. ii. 4. , instead of exaffroi OVCOTTOWTCS, looking every man, the Codex
Boernerianus reads efcacrrois Koirovvres, toiling for every one. Celle'rier, Essai d'une In-
troduction Critique au Nouvcau Testament, p. 112. Geneve, 1823. Svo. Hug's Intro-
duction, vol. i, p. 235.
2 See p. 163. supra.
3 Justin. Dialog, cum Tryphone, cc,65,6. 72. cited in Hug's Introd. vol i. p. 253,
Some vestiges of the same mode of division occur in Tertullian, ad ux. lib.ii. c.2, p. 187.
D. De Pudicitia, c. 16. sub t finem, Be Monogam. c. 11. p. 683. The passages are
given at length by Dr, Lardner, Works, 8vo, vol, ii, p. 283, ; 4to, vol. i. p. 433.
1*70 Divisions and Marks of Distinction [Part I. Ch.
which forms an entire chapter, as being an interpolation, l These
divisions were formerly very numerous ; but, not being established
by any ecclesiastical authority, none of them were ever received by
the whole church. Saint Matthew's Gospel, for instance, according
to the old breviaria, contained twenty-eight breves ; but, according
to Jerome, sixty-eight, The same author divides his Gospel into
355 capitula; others, into 74; others, into 88; others, into 117:
the Syriac version, into 76 ; and Erpenius's edition of the Arabic,
into 101. The most antient, and it appears the most approved of
these divisions, was that of Tatian (A.D. 172), in his Harmony of the
four Gospels, for thern-Xoj or breves : and that of Arnmonius, a learned
Christian of Alexandria in the third century, in his Harmony of the
Gospels, for the xsqaXcuu or capitula. From him they were termed
the Ammonian Sections. As these divisions were subsequently
adopted, and the use of them was recommended, by Eusebins the
celebrated ecclesiastical historian, they are frequently called by his
name. According to this division. Saint Matthew contains 68
breves, and 355 capitula; Saint Mark, 48 breves, and 234 capitula;
Saint Luke, 83 breves, and 342 capitula; and St, John, 18 breves,
and 231 capitula. All the evangelists together form 216 breves and
1126 capitula, In antient Greek manuscripts the -mAo* or larger
portions are written on the upper or lower margin, and the xepctAaia
or smaller portions are numbered on the side of the margin. They
are clearly represented in Erasmus's editions of the Greek Testa-
ment, and in Robert Stephens's edition of 1550.
The division of the Acts of the Apostles, and of the Catholic
Epistles, into chapters, was made by Euthalius bishop of Sulca in
Egypt, in the fifth century ; who published an edition of St. Paul's
Epistles, that had been divided into chapters, in one continued series,
by some unknown person in the fourth century, who had considered
them as one book. This arrangement of the Pauline Epistles is to
be found in the Vatican manuscript, and in some others ; but it by
no means prevails uniformly, for there are many manuscripts extant,
in which afresh enumeration commences with each epistle. 2
Besides the divisions into chapters and sections above mentioned,
the Codex Bezse and other manuscripts were further divided into
lessons, called AvayvaJcr|u,#Ta or Ai/ayycotrsif. Euthalius is said to
have divided Saint Paul's Epistles in this manner, as Andrew Bishop
of Csesarea in Cappadocia divided the Apocalypse, at the beginning
of the sixth century, into twenty-four lessons, which he termed Aoyo<
(according to the number of elders before the throne of God,
Rev. iv. 4.), and seventy-two titles, according to the number of parts,
viz. body, soul, and spirit, of which the elders were composed !
The division of TjrAo* and Ks^aXaia continued to be general both
in the eastern and western churches, until cardinal Hugo de Sancto
Caro in the thirteenth century introduced the chapters now in tise 5
* T*he paragraph in question is to be found in the Codex Bezse* immediately aftqr the
twenty-eighth verse of the twenty-eighth chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel. Micliaelis lip?
printed it, together with two Latin translations of it, in his Introduction to the New; Test.
vol. i. pp, 293295.
2 Millii Prolegomena, & 354 360, 662 664. 739. el seq.
IV. Sect II.] Occurring in the Neat Testament. 171
throughout the western church, for the New Testament as well as
the Old : of which an account has already been given. x The Greek
or eastern church, however, continued to follow the antient divisions;
nor are any Greek manuscripts known to be extant, in which chap-
ters are found, prior to the fifteenth century, when the Greek fugi-
tives, after the taking of Constantinople, fled into the West of
Europe, became transcribers for members of the Latin church, and
of course adopted the Latin divisions.
II. Whether any points for marking the sense were used by the
apostles, is a question that has been greatly agitated ; Pritius, Pfaff,
Leusden, and many other eminent critics, maintaining that they were
in use before the time of the apostles, while Dr. Grabe, Fabricius,
Montfaucon, Hoffman, John Henry Michaelis, Rogall, John David
Michaelis, Moldenhawer, Ernesti, and a host of other critics, main-
tain that the use of points is posterior to the time of apostles. 2 The
numerous mistakes of the fathers 3 , or their uncertainty how parti-
cular passages were to be read and understood, clearly prove that
there was no regular or accustomed system of punctuation in use, in
the fourth century. The majority of the points or stops now in use
are unquestionably of modern date ; for although some full points
are to be found in the Codex Alexandrinus, the Codex Vaticanus,
and the Codex Bezae (as they also are in inscriptions four hundred
years before the Christian sera), yet it cannot be shown that our pre-
sent system of punctuation was generally adopted earlier than the
ninth century. In fact, it seems to have been a gradual improve-
ment, commenced by Jerome, and continued by succeeding biblical
critics. The punctuation of the manuscripts of the Septuagint, Er-
nesti observes from Cyril of Jerusalem 4 , was unknown in the early
part of the fourth century, and consequently (he infers) the punctu-
ation of the New Testament was also unknown. About fifty years
afterwards, Jerome began to add the comma and colon \ and they
were then inserted in many more antient manuscripts. About the
middle of the fifth century, Euthalius (then a deacon of the church
at Alexandria) published an edition of the four Gospels, and after*
wards (when he was bishop of Sulca in Egypt) an edition of the
Acts of the Apostles and of all the Apostolical Epistles, in which he
divided the New Testament into CTTI^O* (stichoi], or lines regulated
1 Sco p. 168, supra, of this volume.
2 Runipoeus has given twelve closely printed quarto pages tcx the enumeration of thessf
opinions. Com. Crit. in Nov. Test. pp. 165 176.
3 Some of these mistakes and uncertainties of -interpretation are sufficiently curious.
Thus Jerome on Eph. i. 5. says : " Duplicator legendum, ut caritas vel cum superforibus
vel inforioribils copuletur." And on Philemon 4 f 5. he says s AmbiguS v&r& diettkjfiy
utrum grates agat Deo suo semper 9 an memoriam ejus faciat in orationibus sui* $brt/?er,
Et utrumque intelligi potest." (Jerome, Homil.IV. in Joh. pp.42, 43. edit. Francofurti.-)
Epiphanius mentions a mark of punctuation tised in the Old Testament, Which he calls
VTToBiacrroA^ j but he takes notice of nothing of the kind in the New Testament, though
he was warmly discussing the manner in which the sense ought to he divided in John i. $.
The disputes which arose concerning this passage, prove to demonstration that there was
no fixed punctuation at the period referred to. Chrysostom, for instance, branded as
heretics those who placed a pause after the words auSe kv and before yeyovev, yet this
mode of pointing was adopted by Irenseus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and even by
Athanasius. Colle>ier, Introduction,- p. 1H. vtoere other additional examples are given*
4 Cyrilli Catechesis xiii. p. SOU Ernesti, Inst. Interp. Nov. Test. p. 159.
172 Divisions and Marks of Distinction [Part L Ch.
by the sense, so that each terminated where some pause was to be
made in reading. Of this method of division (which Euthalius de-
vised in order to assist the clergy when reading the Word in public
worship, and obviate the inconveniences and mistakes just noticed)
the following extract from Tit.ii. 2, 3., according to the Codex H.
Coislinianus 202., will give an idea to the reader :
EINAI
2EMNOTS
rriAINONTAS THJII2TEI
TH* ArAIIHi
EN KATA2THMATI lEPOnPEHElS
MH AIABOAOTS
MH OINJli nOAAH* AEAOTA&MENAS
KAAOA1AA2KAAOTS.
In English, thus :
THAT THE AGED MEN BE SOBER
GRAVE
TEMPERATE
SOUND IN FAITH
IN LOVE
THE AGED WOMEN LIKEWISE
IN BEHAVIOUR AS BECOMETH HOLINESS
NOT FALSE ACCUSERS
NOT GIVEN TO MUCH WINE
TEACHERS OF GOOD THINGS, i
This mode of dividing the sacred text was called &n X oiur pm ; and this
method ot writing crr^ov yp*^. At the end of each manuscript it
was usual to speqify the number of stichoi which it contained When
a copyist was disposed to contract his space, and therefore crowded
the lines into each other, he placed a point where Euthalius had ter-
minated the line. In the eighth century the stroke which we call a
comma was invented. In the Latin manuscripts, Jerome's points were
introduced by Paul Warnefrid, and Alcuin, at the command of the
emperor Charlemagne ; and in the ninth century the Greek note of
interrogation was first used. At the invention of printing the
editors placed the points arbitrarily, probably (Michaelis thinks) with-
out bestowing the necessary attention ; and Stephens in particular,
it is well known, varied his points in every edition. The fac-similes
given m the third chapter of this volume will give the reader an idea
of d marks of distinction found in the more antient manuscripts
The stichoi, however, not only assisted the public reader of the
NewJTestament to determine its sense; theyalso s^ved to measure
1 Hug's Introduction, vol, i, p. 241. ~~ "
IV. Sect. II.] Occurring in the New Testament. 173
the size of books ; thus, Josephus's twenty books of Jewish Antiquities
contained 60,000 stichol, though in Ittigius's edition there are only
40,000 broken lines. And, according to an antient written list pre-
served by Simon, and transcribed by Michaelis, the New Testament
contained 18,612 stichoi. 1
The verses into which the New Testameitt is now divided, are
much more modern, and are an imitation of those invented for the
Old Testament by Rabbi Nathan in the fifteenth century. 3 Robert
Stephens was their first inventor 3 , and introduced them in his edi-
tion of the New Testament, published in the year 1551. This in-
vention of the learned printer was soon introduced into all the
editions of the New Testament ; and the very great advantage it
affords, for facilitating references to particular passages, has caused
it to be retained in the majority of editions and versions of the New
Testament, though much to the injury of its interpretation, as many
passages are now severed that ought to be united, and vice versa.*
From this arrangement, however, Wetstein, Bengel, Bowyer, Gries-
bach, and other editors of the Greek Testament, have wisely de-
parted, and have printed the text in continued paragraphs, throwing
the numbers of Stephen's verses into the margin. Mr. Reeves also
has pursued the same method in his beautiful and correct editions
of the authorised English version, and of the Greek Testament in
'12mo., 1803.
Besides the text in the different books of the New Testament, we
meet with titles or inscriptions to each of them, and also with sub-
scriptions at the end, specifying the writer of each booJc^ the time and
place, when and where it was written, and the person to whom it
was written.
III. It is not known by whom the Inscriptions or TITLES of the
various books of the New Testament were prefixed. In consequence
of the very great diversity of titles occurring in manuscripts it is
generally admitted that they were not originally written by the
Apostles, ^but were subsequently added, in order to distinguish one
book from another, when the canon of the New Testament was
formed. It is however certain, that these titles are of very great an-
tiquity ; for we find them mentioned by Tertullian in the latter part
of the second century 5 , and Justin Martyr, in the early part of the
same century, expressly states, that the writings of the four evange-
lists were in his day termed Gospels. 6
i Introd. to the New Test, vol. ii. pp. 526, 527. Michaclis, after Simon, uses the
word remata ; but this is evidently a mistake. On the subjects discussed in this section
Pritius's Introductio in Nov. Test. pp. 333346. 362 ,375. may be consulted.
a See p. 168. supra, of this volume.
3 He made this division when on a journey from Lyons to Paris, and, as his son
Henry tells us, (in his preface to the Concordance of the New Testament) he made it
inter equitundwh, literally, while riding on horseback ; but Michaelis rather thinks that the
phrase means only, that when he was weary of riding, he amused himself with this work
at his inn. Michaelis, vol. ii. p. 527.
4 Thus Col. iv. 1. ought to have been united to the third chapter.
5 Adversus Marcionem, lib. iv. c. 2.
6 Apol.i, p. 98. Lardner's Works, 8vo. vol. ii. p. 121. j 4to. vol. i. p, 344. Pntu
Introd. in Nov. Test, pp, 331* 333.
174? On the Various Readings [Part I.
IV. But the Subscriptions annexed to the Epistles are manifestly
spurious : for, in t\&Jirst place, some of them are, beyond all doubt,
false, as those of the two Epistles to the Thessalonians, which pur-
port to be written at Athens, whereas they were written from
Corinth. In like manner, the subscription to the first epistle to the
Corinthians states, that it was written from Philippi, notwithstanding
St. Paul informs them (xvi. 8.) that he will tawy at Ephestis until
Pentecost; and notwithstanding he begins his salutations in that
Epistle, by telling the Corinthian Christians (xvi. 19.) the ChurcJies
of Asia salute you ; a pretty evident indication that he himself was in
Asia at that very time. Again, according to the subscription, the
Epistle to the Galatians was written from Rome ; yet, in the Epistle
itself, the Apostle expresses his surprise (i. 6.) that they were so
SOON removed from him that called them ; whereas his journey to
Rome was ten years posterior to the conversion of the Galatians.
And what still more conclusively proves the falsehood of this sub-
scription is, the total absence in this epistle of all allusions to his
bonds or to his being a prisoner ; which Saint Paul has not failed to
notice ifti every one of the four epistles, written from that city and
during his imprisonment. 1 Secondly, The subscriptions are alto-
gether wanting in some antient manuscripts of the best note, while
in others they are greatly varied. And, thirdly* The subscription an-
nexed to the first Epistle to Timothy is evidently the production of
a writer of the age of Constantine the Great, and could not have
been written by the Apostle Paul : for it states that epistle to have
been written to Timothy from Laodicea, the chief city of Phrygia
Pacatiana ; whereas the country of Phrygia was not divided into the
two provinces of Phrygia Prima, or Pacatiana^ and Phrygia Secunda,
until the fourth century. According to Dr. Mill, the subscriptions
were added by Euthalius bishop of Sulca in Egypt, about the
middle of the fifth century. But, whoever was the author of the
subscriptions, it is evident that he was either grossly ignorant, or
grossly inattentive.
The various subscriptions and titles to the different books are ex-
hibited in Grriesbach's Critical Edition of the New Testament.
CHAPTER V.
OF THE VARIOUS READINGS OCCURRING- IN THE OLD AND NEW
TESTAMENTS.
The Christian Faith not affected by Various Readings. II. Nature of
Various Readings Difference between them and mere errata. III.
Causes of various Readings ; 1. The negligence or mistakes of tran-
scribers $ 2. Errors or imperfections in the manuscript copied;
1 Paley's Horaj Paulina, pp. 378, 379.
Ch. V.] In the Old and New Testaments. 175
3. Critical Conjecture ; 4. Wilful Corruptions of a manuscript from party
motives* IV. Sources whence a true reading is to be determined;
I. Manuscripts ; 2. Antient Editions ; 3. Antient Versions; 4.
Parallel Passages ; 5. Quotations in the Writings of the Fathers;
6. Critical Conjecture; V. General Rules jbr judging of Various
I. THE Old and New Testaments, in common with all other
antient writings, being preserved and diffused by transcription* the
admission of mistakes was unavoidable : which increasing with the
multitude of copies, necessarily produced a great variety of different
readings. Hence the labours of learned men have been directed
to the collation of manuscripts, with a view to ascertain the genuine
reading; and the result of their researches has shown, that these
variations are not such as to affect our faith or practice in any thing
material : they are mostly of a minute, and sometimes of a trifling
nature. " The real text of the sacred writers does not now (since
the originals have been so long lost) lie in any single manuscript or
edition, but is dispersed in them all. It is competently exact indeed,
even in the worst manuscript now extant ; nor is one article of faith
or moral precept either perverted or lost in them." * It is therefore
a very ungrounded fear that the number of various readings, parti-
cularly in the New Testament, may diminish the certainty of the
Christian religion. The probability, Michaelis remarks, of restoring
the genuine text of any author, increases with the increase of the
copies ; and the most inaccurate and mutilated editions of antient
writers are precisely those of whose works the fewest manuscripts
remain. 2 Above all, in the New Testament, the various readings
show that there could have been no collusion ; but that the manu-
scripts were written independently of each other, by persons separated
by distance of time, remoteness of place, and diversity of opinions.
This extensive independency of manuscripts on each other, is the
effectual check of wilful alteration ; which must have ever been im-
mediately corrected by the agreement of copies from various and
distant regions out of the reach of the interpolator. By far the
greatest number of various readings relate to trifles, and make no
alteration whatever in the sense, such as A/3iS for Aaiu; SoAc^wvra
for SoAOfwom; xxi for Ss ; xayw for x&i eyco ($p for antll)\ sAarrcov for
1 Dr. Bentley's remarks on Free-thinking, rem. xxxii, (Bp. Randolph's Enchiridion
Theologicum, vol. v. p. 163.) The various readings that affect doctrines, and require
caution, are extremely few, and easily distinguished by critical rules ; and where they do-
affect a doctrine, other passages confirm and establish it. See examples of this observ-
ation in Michaelis, voKi. p.266 , and Dr. Nares's Strictures on the Unitarian Version of
the New Testament, pp. 219221.
Q Michaelis's Introduction to the New Testament, vol. i. pp. 263268. a In proime
authors," says Dr, Bentley, * ! (as they are called) whereof one manuscript only had the
lack to be preserved, as Velleius Paterculus among the Latins, and Hesyehms among
the Greeks the faults of the scribes are found so numerous, and the defects so beyond all
redress, that notwithstanding the pains of the learnedest and acutest critics for two whole-
centuries, those books still are, and are likely to continue, a mere heap of errors. On the
contrary, where the copies of any author are numerous, though the various readings always
increase in proportion, there the text, by an accurate collation of them made by skilful and
judicious hands, is ever the more correct, and comes nearer to the true words of the
author." Remarks on Free-thinking, in Enchirid, Thcol. vol. v. p. 158.
J76
On the Various Readings
[Part I.
y; Kupiogfor 0so^;XXwc-*v for AaAijeraKnv; Maxnj$ for Mwuenj^; and
y*vs<ra> for yevscrSo) ; all which in most cases may be used indifferently.
In order to illustrate the preceding remarks, and to convey an idea
of their full force to the reader, the various readings of the first ten
verses of Saint John's Gospel are annexed in Greek and English ;
and they are particularly chosen because they contain one of the most
decisive proofs of the divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Common Heading.
Various Reading.
Authorities.
Ver. 1. 'O Koyos %v
The Word was WITH
God.
>EN TO) ew IN God.
Clemens Alexandrinus.
2. Qvros l\v ev apx^l
TTpOS TOV 0^.
The same was in the
beginning with God.
Somz'ifed, j
The MSS. 47 and 64 of
Grlesbach's notation; Mat-
thoei's 1 9.
4. EP aurw fail HN,
" In him WAS life.
[ESTIN IS life. <
The Codex Bezae, Origen,
Augustine 3 Hilary, and other
Fathers,
4. Kai -i) font %v ro fyus
TUV CUt&pWffQJV*
And the life was the
light of men.
the light OF MEN.
> omitted. *i
The light was the life.
The fragment of St. John's
Gospel, edited by Aldus,
Clemens Alexandrinus, and
Origen.
B. The Codex Vaticanus.
5. 'H fKOrta ATTO ov
The darkness compre-
hended IT not.
CAUTON HIMnot. -J
B. The Codex Vaticanus,
the MSS. 13 and 114* of
Griesbach, three other MSS.
of less note, and Theodotus.
7. Iva, irajnes iris-evffua'i
&' avrov.
Tliat all men might be-
lieve through him.
> omitted. <
The MS. 235 of Gries-
bach, the Aldine Fragment of
St. John's Gospel, Irenseus,
and Hilary.
9. Epxoftevov ets TON
KOffjJWVl.
That cometh Into THE
world.
( In HUNC mundum I
f into THIS world. J
The Vulgate and Italic (or
old Ante-*Hieronynrian) Ver-
sions, Tertullian, Cyprian,
Hilary, Ambrose, Augustine,
and other fathers.
10. EP Til Kotrpa) TJV.
He was in THE world.
}HOC mundo in THIS
world. (
The MSS. of the old Latin
Versions, denominated the
Codices Veronensis, Vercel-
lensis, Brixiensis, and Cor-
beiensis, edited by Blanchini
and Sabatier; Irenaeus, Cy-
prian, Ambrose, once, Au-
gustine repeatedly.
On the whole, these various readings though rifrf selected from
any single manuscript, but from all that have been collated, together
. with the antient versions and the quotations from the fathers, no
where contradict the sense of the evangelist ; nor do they produce
any material alteration in the text. 1
i Christian Observer for 1807, vol. vi. p, 221.
Ch. V.] In the Old and New Testaments. 177
The principal collators and collectors of various readings for the
Old Testament, are Dr. Kennicott and M- De Rossi, of whose labours
an account is given in the Appendix, pp. 7, 8. 150. As the price of
their publications necessarily places them out of the reach of very
many biblical students, the reader, who is desirous of availing himself
of the results of their laborious and learned researches, will find a
compendious abstract of them in Mr. Hamilton's Codex Criticus
(London, J821, 8vo.)- For the New Testament, the principal col-
lations are those of Erasmus, the editors of the Complutensian and
London Polyglotts, Bishop Fell, Dr. Mill, Kuster, Bengel, Wetstein,
Dr. Griesbach, and Matthsei, whose editions are also described in
the Appendix to this volume 1 ; and for the Septuagint, the col-
lations of the late Rev. Dr. Holmes, and his continuator, the Rev.
J. Parsons.' 2
II. However plain the meaning of the term " Various Reading"
may be, considerable difference has existed among learned men con-
cerning its nature. Some have allowed the name only to such readings
as may possibly have proceeded from the author; but this restriction
is improper. Michaelis's distinction between mere errata and various
readings appears to be the true one. cs Among two or more different
readings, one only can be the true reading ; and the rest must be
' either wilful corruptions or mistakes of the copyist." It is often dif-
ficult to distinguish the genuine from the spurious; and whenever the
smallest doubt can be entertained., they all receive the name of VA-
RIOUS READINGS; but in cases where the transcriber has evidently
written falsely, they receive the name of errata.
III. As all manuscripts were either dictated to copyists or tran-
scribed by them, and as these persons were not supernaturally guarded
against the possibility of error, different readings would naturally be
produced: 1. By the negligence or mistakes of the transcribers ; to
which we may add, 2, The existence of errors or imperfections in the
manuscripts copied; 3. Critical emendations of the text; and 4. Wil-
ful corruptions made to serve the purposes of a party. Mistakes thus
produced in one copy would of course be propagated through all suc-
ceeding copies made from it, each of which might likkewise have
peculiar faults of its own ; so that various readings would thus be
increased, in proportion to the number of transcripts that were made.
JU Various readings have been occasioned by the NEGLIGENCE or.
MISTAKES OF THE TRANSCRIBERS.
(1.) When a manuscript is dictated, whether to one or lo several copyist s f
the parly dictating might not speak tuti/i sufficient clearness; he might read
carelessly ', and even utter tuords that were not in his manuscript; he might
pronounce different words in the same manner* The copyist, therefore, who
should follow such dictation, would necessarily produce different readings
One or two examples will' illustrate this remark.
In Eph.iv. 19., Saint Paul, speaking of the Gentiles, while without the Gospel, says,
that being past feeling, they gave themselves over to lasci piousness. For oar^y^Kores past
1 Michaelis has given a list of authors who have collected various readings, xvith the re-
marks on their labours. Introd. vol. ii. parti, pp. 419429. See also Pfaff's Disser.
tatio de Genuinis Novi Testament! Lectionibus, pp, 101 122.
s See an account of their edition of the jSeptuagint, in the Appendix, pp, 37, 38*
VOL. II, N
178 On the Various Readings CP art I-
feelina (which the context shows to be the genuine reading), several manuscripts, versions,
and fathers read cnnjX'irtKores, being without kofie. Drv Mill is of opinion, that this lection
proceeded from some ignorant copyist who had in his mind Saint Paul's account of the
Gentiles in Eph. ii 12. where he said that they had no hope, sKir'titx, \M\ e-xpvres. But for
this opinion there is no foundation whatever. The antient copyists were not in general
men of such subtile genius. It is therefore most probable that the word cwnjtarjrtores crept
in, from * mis-pronunciation on the part of the persons dictating. The same remark will
account for the reading of VTJVIOI S yowig children* instead of ijiriotf gentle, in 1 Thess. ii. 7.,
which occurs in many manuscripts, and also in several versions and fathers. But the scope
and context of this passage prove that vrjiriot cannot be the original reading. It is the
Thessalonians, whom the apostle considers as young children, and himself and fellow-
labourers as the nurse. He could not therefore with any propriety say that he was among
them as a little child, while he himself professed to be their nurse*
(2.) Further, as many Hefiretu and Greek letters are similar loth in sound
and inform, a negligent or illiterate copyist might, and the collation ofma-
nuscripts has shewn that such transcribers did, occasion various readings by
substituting one word or letter for another.
The permutation,, or interchanging, of vowel points, letters, and even entire words,
whieh are to be found in Hebrew manuscripts are copiously treated by Muntinghe. 1
Of the permutations in Greek MSS., the Codex Cottonianus of the book of Genesis
presents many very striking examples.
Thus, B and M are interchanged in Gen. xliii, 11. repefitv^ov is written for rtpeGw&ov,
- r and K, as 71^17705 for Kwyyos, x. 9. ; and e contra <f>a\.K for <t*a\y, xL 16?- F and
N, as trvyKofyovfftv for ffvmotyovffWt xxxiv. 30. T and X, as Spaxuara for 8pa7jucTa,
xxxviL 6. A and A as KtAfioircuaus for Kciyuwyouoitt, xv. 1 9. ; and e contra, Ai5a>/* for
AtXw/i, xxxvi. 2. A and N, as Negpav for Nepw8, x. 9. A and T, as Arar for Ara,
x. 10, c. - Z and 2, as XcurdS for Xaa5, xx-ii. 22. ; and p.cucapi%ov(nv for paKapLa-ovcriv,
xxx. 13. andX, Oxi a X f r X a ^ xxv *- 26. and T, ewrprpa^Tt for aTrorpa^r^i,
xvi. 9. K and X, as KaA.<wc for XaAsx, x. 11. ; and ov% for owe, xiii. 9. n and *, as
vQefypyrra-L for mefyjpyirat, xxxix. 9. Sometimes consonants are added to the end of the
words apparently for the sake of euphony ; as XwSaA. for Xeogce, xiv. 15. yvvaiKav for yvjsauca,,
xi. 13. Evi'Xor for Eufaa, x, 7. M is generally retained in the different flexions of the verb
AajuSaw, in the future XTJ/A^CW, K-n^ovrai, xiv. 23, 24, &c. and in the aorist, Xi7/i<jJ0^To,
xviii. 4. And also in the word ffv^trapaK^fjL^e-ns, xix. 1 7. This also is common in the
Codex Vaticanus* Sometimes a double consonant is expressed by a single one, and vice versa :
for instance, evevtiKovra for eyj/evrjKOvra, v. 9., and Sewaap for .Seyaap, x. 10. j if'eA.ia for
tyehXia, xxiv. 47, &c.
The VOWELS are often interchanged \ for instance, A and E, as reffffepdKOj/ra for
tKOj/ra, vii. 4., avarij for aves-Tj, xxi. 14. A and H, as avetafa for ijvcwgw, viii* 6.,
j for {J.ax.atp&, xxvii. 40. E and H, as ej//6/*a for eipTjjua, xxv, 29., wvirvwurfrq for
frri, xxviii. 12, Hand I, as Ktrto* for K^TIOZ, x. 4., eAt/coj foreAt/a, xlix. 11. ^-
H and T, as mjxyif formixvv, vi. 17. Pcrjjua for Peujwa, xxii. 24, O and T, as titcopvQa for
&op00cs, vi. 17. O and il, as Powgod- for Pow&wfr, x. 11. The Trowels are often inter-
changed with the Diphthongs i for instance, AI and E, as wre\v<Tff9at for aTreAewretrite,
xix. 2., aveveyiuiA for weveyitc, xxii. 2., iraiSiou for iretitov, xxxv. 27., /cftTa|erat for /caralere,
xlil. ;S8*-^-i;5 wsd A, as7ijpit for 7^0, xv. 15. El and E as eweicw for eveKev, xviii. 5.,
El and H, as eifcu/and fiSeiv, xviii. 19. El and I, as Trapts-q/cet for Trapas-qKet, xviii. 8,,
yvvcuKia for yvvaiKeictt xviii. 11. , ouSwfor ouSeis, xxxi.41., Kpetov for Kpioz/, xv. 9, &c.-
OI and-H, as \ttots for \aijs, xxxL 50. OT and H, as v\ypvis for Trtajpovs, xxvii. 27- 5
and lastly, OT and il, as /carapot/^ovs for Karcywe/iigwus, xii. 13. 9
The manuscripts of the New Testament abound with similar instances of
pernuitations.
Tims we meet with AjuwaBa/A for A/t>a8ajS, in Matt. i. 4. ; Aei^ for Axe% in Matt. i. 14.;
5:a TW fiafrirnw for 5uo TW^ /ua$?]rtyj/, in Matt. xi. 2. ; MaT^-av for Mar^aT, in Luke iii. 24,;
Hapavfrn for ficapwfh], in Luke xiv. 34. ; TOITOJ/ for TWO*', in John xx. 25. ; Kaipufor Kvpi^
in Kom. xii. 11.; AaiuS for Aa0tS, in Matt. i. 1 M and in many other passages. The reader
will find numerous other examples in the elder Michaelis's Dissertation on various read-
Wigs. 3 Permutations of this kind are very frequent in antient manuscripts, and also in
inscriptions on coins, medals, stones, pillars, and other monuments of antiquity. '
' Brevis Expositio Critices Veteris Fcederis, pp. 87 108,
3 J>r. Holmes's Edition of the Septuagint, vol. i. Praef. cap. ii. I,
D. Christian! Benedict! Michaelis Tractatio Critica de Variis Lectionibus Novi
pp.8 -10. Hal Magdeburgicse, 1749, 4to.
Ch, V J In the Old and New Testaments. 1 70
(3.) In liJce manner the transcribers might have mistaken the line on which
the copy before them was tvritten, for part of a letter ; or they might have
mistaken the lotver stroke of a letter Jbr the line ; or they might have mistaken
the true sense of the original, and thus have altered the reading; at the
same time they were unwilling to correct such mistakes as they detected^ lest
their pages should appear blotted or defaced, and thus they sacrificed the
correctness of their copy to the beauty of its appearance. This is particularly
observable in Hebrew manuscripts.
(4.) A person having written one or more toordsfrom a turojig place, and
not observing it ; or not choosing to erase it, might return to the right line,
and thus produce an improper insertion of a 'word or a clause.
Of this we have a striking instance in John vii. 26. Do the rulers know INDEED
(a\77&ws), that titis is the VERY, Christ ( a.\rjfrus & X/nros, TRULY the Christ) ? The second
a\fj^tas is wanting in the Codices Vaticanus, Cantabrigiensis (or Codex Bezse), Cyprius,
Stephani yj, or Regius 62, Nanianus, and Ingolstadiensis, in numbers 1, 13, 28, 40, 63,
69, 116, 118, and 124, of Griesbach's notation, and nine other manuscripts of less note,
which are not specified by him ; it is also wanting in the manuscripts noted by Matthaei
with the letters a,.l, s, and 10, in all the editions of the Arabic version, in Wheeloc's
edition of the Persian version, in the Coptic, Armenian, Sclavonic, and Vulgate versions ;
and in all the copies of the Old Italic version, except that of Brescia. Origen, Epipha-
nius, Cyril, Isidore of Pelusium, Chrysostom, and Nonnus, among the antient fathers ;
and Grotius, Mill, Bengel, Bishop Pearce, and Griesbach, among the modern writers,
are all unanimous in rejecting the word aA^&ws. The sentence in 1 Cor. x. 28. Tow yap
Kvpiov 17 yij KCLI TO 7r\5]poyia auTTjs, The earth w the Lord's and the fulness thereof, is
wanting in the Codices Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, Cantabrigiensis, Basileensis, Boreeli,
Harleianus No. 5864, and Seidelii, and in Nos, 10, 17, 28, 46, 71*, 73, and 80, of
Griesbach 's notation : it is also wanting in- the Syriac version, in- Erpenius's edition of the
Arabic version, in the Coptic, Sahidic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Vulgate, and Old Italic ver-
sions, and in the quotations of the fathers Johannes Damascenus, Ambrosiaster, Augustine,
Isidore of Pelusium, and Bede. Griesbach has left it out of the text, as a clause that
ought most undoubtedly to be erased. There is, in fact, scarcely any authority to sup-
port it ; and the clause is superfluous ; in all probability it was inserted from the twenty,
sixth verse, which is word for word the same.
(5.) When a transcriber had made an omission^ and' afterwards observed
it, he then subjoined tahat he had omitted, and thus produced a transposition. 1
Thus, Matt, v. 4. is subjoined to 5. in the Codex Bezse, in the Vulgate version, and in
the quotation of Jerome, Luke xxiii. 17. is omitted in the Codices Alexandrinus,' Va-
ticanus, Cyprius, and Stephani t\ 9 in the Coptic and Sahidic versions,, and in the Codex
Vercellensis of the Old Italic version : and it is subjoined to the ninteenth verse in the
Codex Bezai.
In like manner, Rom. i. 29. is very different in different copies.
In the Textus Receptus or common editions, we read, adiKta, VOOVGIOS,, ifowipia, TrAeove^a,
ica/aa, ~ unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness."
In the Codex Alexandrinus and Ethiopic version, we read, atiiiela, vovTjpiOy Kattia, 7rA.0
i/e|ta, unrighteousness, wicbedness t maliciousness t covetousness,
In the Codex Claromontanus, we read, a5;/aa, KaKta, Tropj/eia, ir\eow|*a, unrighteous-
ness, maliciousness, covetousness.
In the Vulgate version, we read, iniquitate, malitid, fornicatione, avaritid) neguitid,
whence it is evident that the authors of that translation read, aSz/ao, 7rovt]pta,
irKfOvefra, KaKia. And
The order of the words in the Syriac version shows that its author* read, aSittia,
irovripia, KaKictf 7rAOve|:a, unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness,, maliciousness^ covet-
ousness.
(6.) Another cause of various lections in Hebrew manuscripts, referable
to this head, is the addition of letters to the last word in the lines in order
to preserve their symmetry ; and in Greek manuscripts omissions are fre-
quently occasioned by tvhat is called ojwofmXsvroj' (homoeoteleuton), or when
a tvord after a short interval occurs a second time in a passage* Here,
the transcriber having witten the word at the beginning of the passage, on
i Dr. Gerard's Institutes of Biblical Criticism, p, 2S8.
N 2
180 On the Various Readings [Part I,
looking at the fool* again from which he copies, his eye catches the same word
at the end of the passage^ and continuing to tvrite what immediately follows,
he of course omits intermediate words.
This fact vill account for the omission of the concluding sentence of Matt. v. 19., and
the whole of verse SO., in the Codex Bezos. Again, in Matt, xxviii. 9. the words
tntarfyei\u rots fj-ttfrnrais avrov (to teU his disciples), are omitted from the same cause, In
the Codices Vaticanus and Bezse, in the MSS. by Griesbach numbered 10, 33, 49, 59 3
60, 69, 119, 142*, 225, 227, the Evangelisteria numbeied 1, 13, 15, 17,32, in the
second of the Barberini MSS,, and in those noted d. and q. by Matlhoei; as well as in
the Syriac, Arabic (as printed in the London Polyglott), Persic, Coptic, Armenian,
Vulgate Latin, Saxon, and Old Italic Versions (except the manuscript of Brescia), and
by the fathers Origen, Chrysostom, Jerome, and Augustine. And Mark ix. 26. is omitted
in the Codices Vaticanus 1209, Stephani TJ, Vaticanus 354, and the MSS. by Griesbach
numbered 2, 27, 63, 64, 121, 157, in Matlnsei's 17, in the Coptic Version, the Codex
San-germauensis 2 of the Italic Version, in the printed editions of Aldus and Frobenius,
and by Theophylact*
J7.) As all ike most antient manuscripts were written in capital letters, and
without any spaces between words, or even sentences, syllables are frequently
omitted or repeated. So, careless or ignorant transcribers have very often
mistaken the notes of abbreviation^ tvhich are of frequent occurrence in an-
iient manuscripts. A few specimens of such abbreviations are given in the
preceding part of this Volume.
From this source probably originated the reading, in 1 Pet. ii, 3. ofXptsw (Christ)
Instead of Xpujros (gratiaus), which occurs in the MSS. by Griesbach numbered 40, 68,
and others of less note, in Matthei's g, in some printed editions, and also in the verse as
cited by Clemens Alexandrinus, Gregory Nazianzen, and Procopius, and by Theophylact
in his commentary on this text. The reading in the manuscript whence the transcriber
made his copy, must have been XFJ which, not being understood by him, he altered into
(8.) Lastly, the ignorance or negligence of transcribers has been a most
fruitful source of various readings^ by their having mistaken marginal notes
or scholia for a part of the text. It was not unusual in antient manuscripts
to torite in the margin an explanation of difficult passages, or a word sy-
nonymous to that in the text, but more usual and more easily understood, or
teith the intent of supplying a seeming deficiency; any or all of which might,
in the copies taken from the manuscript in which these notes tvere written,
be easily obtruded on the text itself.
Thus, to Matt, vi 33. some copies, as well as the fathers Clemens Alexandrinus, Origem
and Eusebius, add the following clause, as having been uttered by Jesus Christ AITOT
-ret ^670X0, fc<u VA fuptca, vtuv vpwrr&nfferm KOLI aireire TO, evovpavia, KCU ra vxtycia irpoo--
re$njffTtu vfuit : Seek ye great things, and little things shall be added unto you ; and seek
ye heavenly things, and earthly things shall be added unta you. But this addition is ma-
nifestly a gloss,
So, in Mark vii. 35., after he. ^>akeplcdn t the following sentence is added in MS. 90 of
Griesbach's notation : Koi eXaAsi evXayw rw 0eo>, and he spoke* praising God. That
the man did this, we may readily conclude ; but this sentence was not added by the evan-
gelist. It was evidently a gloss
, r - , J-germancnws 1, and Forojuliensis, of the
Old Italic \ersion, But it is manifestly a gloss, and is rejected as such by Dr. Mill,
and Griesbach.
It is worthy of remark, that the differences caused by these or similar additions do in
no respect whatever affect any point of faith or morality. Several eminent critics, .for
instance, are of opinion that the controverted clause in 1 John v. 7, 8. crept irjto the text
in this manner; because it is not found in any antient manuscripts, nor in the writings
of the fathers who disputed against the Arians. The evidence for the passage in question
is fully considered in Vol. IV. Part II. Chap. IV. Sect V. VI. But, for the sake of
a*gtraient, let us suppose it to be an omission in the manuscripts where it is wanting, or
an addition to those where it occurs j it cannot in any way be prejudicial to the Christian
Ch. V.] In the Old and 'Nm Testaments. ' 181
faith ; because, Whatever sense we may put upon that passage, the same truth being most
clearly and indisputably taught in other places of the New Testament, there is no more
occasion for adding it, than there is inconvenience in omitting it.
2. ERRORS or IMPERFECTIONS in the manuscript^ from which a
transcriber copied* are a further source of various readings.
Besides the mistakes arising from the strokes of certain letters being
faded or erased, others of a contrary nature may arise from the transpa-
rency of the paper or vellum, whence the stroke of a letter on one side
of the leaf may seem to be a part of the letter on the other side of the
leaf, and in this manner O may be taken for .
According to Wet&tein, this very accident happened to Mill, in examining the cele-
brated passage (1 Tim.iii. 16.) in the Codex Alexandrinus. Mill had asserted in regard
to the OC in this manuscript, that some remains of a stroke were still visible in the
middle of the omicron, and concluded therefore that the word was properly C. But
"Wetstein, who examined this manuscript more accurately, could discover no trace of any
stroke in the omicron, but took notice of a circumstance which he supposes led Mill into
error. On the other side of the leaf, directly opposite to O, is the letter 6, in the word
eTCGBBIA, the middle stroke of which is visible on the former side, and occupies the
hollow of O. Wetstcin having made the discovery, called several persons to witness,
who confirmed the tiuth of it. But this hypothesis of Wetstein's has been questioned by
Dr. Woide ', and has been most clearly disproved by Dr. Berriman.- In order to dis-
cover the genuine reading of a manusciipt where the letters are faded, Michaelis recom-
mends the critic to have recourse to such as are related to it, either in time, place, or
character, and if possible to those which were immediately copied from it while the letters
were still legible. Vclthusen and Griesbach are unanimous in regard to the propriety of
this rule, but in their application of it to 1 Tim. iii. If?, they have drawn, directly opposite
conclusions. Those who endeavour to supply what time has destroyed, and venture to
write anew the remnant, or seeming remnant, of a faded stroke, are guilty of an act that
deserves the highest censure : the Codex Alexandrinus, Codex Ephrem, and Codex Cla-
romontanus, have all suffered in this manner, but the authors of these amendments have
deprived their successors of the means of judging for themselves, and have defeated the
end which they intended to answer.
Again, the omission of a passage in an anlient manuscript, which the writer added
afterwards in the margin, might lead a copyist into error, unless it was particularly
marked in what part of the text the passage ought to be inserted. Many manuscripts are
still extant, in which omissions are in this manner supplied, especially in those preserved
at Moscow* which Matthaei has extracted and accurately described in his critical edition of
the New Testament,
3. A third source of various readings is CRITICAL CONJECTURED
or an intended improvement of the original text.
" In reading the works of an author of known literary reputation
we ascribe grammatical or orthographical errors, if any are to be found,
rather to a mistake of the printer than to a want of knowledge in the
writer. In the same manner the transcriber of a manuscript attributes
the faults of his original to the error of a former copyist, and alters them,
as he supposes they were written by the author. But if he carries his
critical conjectures too far, he falls himself into the error which he in-
tended to avoid," This may be done in various ways.
(1.) Thus the transcriber may iake an expression to le faulty tuhich in
reality is not so ; or he may mistake, the sense of the author, and suppose that
he has discovered a grammatical err or ^ when, in fact, he himself construes
falsely : or the grammatical error intended to be corrected actually pra-
ceedecTfrom the author himself. *
* Novum Testamentum Graecum, e Codice MS. Alexandrine ; Frsefat. 87. p. xxxi.
2 Critical Dissertation upon 1 Tim.iii, 16. pp. 1&3 IffO.
3 With regard to these corrections of grammatical errors, Michaelis has laid down the
four following rules, viz.
"I. In those passages where we find only an apparent grammatical error, the seem-
ingly erroneous reading may be generally considered as the genuine, and the other read-
ings as corrections, and therefore spurious.
N 3
182 On the Various Headings [Part I.
J2,) Further, some critical copyists have not only corrected ungrammali-
or inaccurate expressions, but have even converted inelegant into ele-
gant phrases : and they have likewise omitted words that appeared to them
superfluous, or the difference of which they did not understand.
Thus, in Mark \iu 37. TOVS a\dkovs, the dumb> is -omitted as superfluous in Griesbach's
MS. 28. f Colbertinus 4705, or Colbertinus 2. of -Dr. Mill's notation.) So, in Mark x.
19. "MI? fiMronjpTjo-Tjy, defrqud not, is omitted in the 'Codices Vaticanus and Cyprius, and
in eighteen other manuscripts, as well as in the Armenian version, and also in Theophylact.
It seems included in JLMJ Ktoj^s, do not steal, and does not occur in the other Gospels.
Once more, Aeyoi/ros, saying, (Matt. i. 22.) is omitted, because the transcriber deemed it
an unnecessary addition after the words, that which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet.
{3.) But of all the sources 'of various lections which are referable to this
head) the most ample, according to Michaelis, and the most productive of
spurious passages in the Netu Testament, 'is the practice of altering parallel
passages so as to render more perfect their , conformity to each other. The
Gospels in particular have suffered in this way ; and Saint Paul's Epistles
have very frequently been interpolated, in order to make -his quotations from
the Old Testament harmonise 'with the Septuagint version, where they dif-
fered from the exact words of the latter.
Two or three instances of alterations from parallel passages will confirm this remark.
Thus, in Matt, xii. 8. For the son of man is lord even of the $dbbath-day, KM, even, is
omitted in eighty-seven manuscripts, and in several printed editions, as well as in the
Syriac, Arabic, the Persic in Bp. Walton's Polyglott, the Coptic, Armenian, Sclavonic,
and Italic versions, and also in the passage as quoted by Tertullian, Cyprian, Origen,
Chrysostom, Eu-thymius, and Theophylact. It has been added from the parallel passage
in Hark ii. 28, or in Luke vi, 5, ; and is justly rejected by Griesbach as an interpolation.
Jn Matt, -xii* 35. ,TI)S KapBtas, of the hearty is wanting in one hundred and seven manu-
scripts as well .as in several printed editions, and in the Arabic, Persic, Sclavonic, Anglo-
Saxon, Old Italic, and Vulgate versions ; it is also wanting in the passage as cited by
Origen, the author of the Dialogue against the Marcionites, Gregory Naaianzen, Gregory
of Nyssa, Chrysostom, Theophylact, Cyprian, Lucifer, Hilary, and Ambrosiaster. It has
been inserted from the parallel place in Luke vi, 45.
The clause in Matt, xxvii. 35. Iva, v^pto^vj TO pn&ev (that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken] 3 &c. to the end of that verse, is omitted in one hundred and sixty-one manu-
scripts in the Syriac MSS. and also in some Syriac editions, in the Arabic version both
JktSS. and also as printed in Bp. Walton's Polyglott, in the Persic version of the Poly-
glott, in all the manuscripts, and in most printed editions of the Coptic, Sahidic, Ethi-
opic, and Sclavonic versions, in most MSS. and editions of the Yulgate Latin version,
in several MSS. of the old Italic version ; and likewise in the verse as cited by Chrysos-
tom, Titus of Bostra, Euthymius, Theophylact, Origeu, the old Latin translator of
IreuzEsus, Augustine, and Juvencus. This clause has been .interpolated from John six.
524, Griesbach justly omits it as decidedly spurious.
Numerous similar interpolations 'have been made in the Acts of the Apostles, "by these
supposed amendments ; and where the same story is related more than once, transcribers,
and more frequently translators, have supplied from the one what seemed to be deficient
in the other. Not to multiply examples unnecessarily in illustration of this last remark,
it will be sufficient to compare the narrative of Saint Paul's conversion, as related by
Saint Luke (Acts ix.), with the apostle's own account of it in Acts xxii. and xxvi. ; and
also the two narratives of the conversion of Cornelius, described in Acts x. and xi.
{<M Lastly, some critics have altered the text of the Netu Testament in
" 2 Real grammatical errors, in the works of a correct and classical writer, are justly
ascribed to a mistake of the copyist, and the same sentiments may be entertained of an
author of less eminence, when among several copies one or two only have the false-reading.
4< 3. But when expressions that deviate from the strictness of grammar are found in
the writings of an .author who had not the advantage of 3 learned edupation, and was to-
tally regardless of the accuracy of Jus style, not in single hut repeated instances, and
*etaied in a very great number of manuscripts, they must be attributed, not to the
transcriber, but the author.
*? 4* When one grammatical error in particular is frequently found in one and the same
Wtitfag, ag tbe improper use of the nominative in the book of Revelation, no doubt can b
made that it proceeded from the author himself, " Michaeiis, vol, i, p. 30$.
Ch. V,] In the Old and New Testaments. 183
conformity to the Vulgate version / but various readings, tvMch are evi-
dently derived from this source, are utterly undeserving of attention.
4. WILFUL COKRUPTIONS, in order to serve thepurposes of a party,
whether orthodox or heterodox, are another source of various readings.
Among the antient heretics no one has been more severely charged with falsifying the
sacred text, in order to support his tenets, nor has any one more justly deserved the cen-
sure, which has been bestowed upon such unwarrantable conduct, than Marcion. Yet
Michaelis has shown that all his deviations from the text in common use are not wilful
corruptions, but that many of them are really various readings ; and he has exculpated the
Arians from the same charge, It is, however, well known that Marcion caused the two
first chapters of Saint Luke's Gospel to disappear from his copy, as also Luke iv, 37,
38, 39. In Luke viii. 19. he also expunged the words 77 JUTJTTJ/J /ecu 01 aSe\^at avrov, Ms
mother and brethren. In Mark xv. 28. instead of juera nvo^uv eXayurfrif, tie was ?ium5ered
with the transgressors, the Eutychians read veKpuv, dead, in order to support their hypo-
thesis, that Christs's body was an aerial form and not human.
On the other hand, it is a fact that some corruptions have been de-
signedly made by those who are termed orthodox, and have subse-
quently been preferred when so made, in order to favour some received
opinion, or to preclude an objection against it. As this is a source of
various readings (we believe) but little known, and less considered,
we shall adduce two or three examples from PfafFs dissertation on vari-
ous readings, who has considered the subject at length.
(1.) Markxili, 32. OwSeoutos. These words are omitted in some manuscripts, and
rejected by some of the fathers, because they thought it favoured the Arians. Ambrose,
who flourished in the fourth century, states that many manuscripts in his time omitted them.
(2.) Luke i. 35. After y^vvta^vov, the words e crov have been added in several ma-
nuscripts in the Syriac, Persic, Arabic, Ethiopic, and other translations, as well as In
numerous quotations of the fathers, in opposition to the Eutychians, who denied the two
natures of Jesus Christ.
(3.) Luke xxii. 43. The whole verse is omitted in the Alexandrian and some other
manuscripts, because some orthodox Christians imagined that the mention of an angeFs
strengthening our Saviour during his agony in the garden detracted from his Deity.
(4.) 1 Cor. xv. 5. Saint Paul asserts that Christ appeared after his resurrection to
the twelve, rois SwSefca, though at that time two of the number were wanting, Thomas
being absent, and Judas Iscariot being dead. Some manuscripts therefore read ey&ctfo,
eleven, lest the sacred historian should be charged with falsehood, though every attentive
reader of the New Testament knows that the Apostle, in writing this, used the figure
called synecdoche, in which a part is put for the whole.
(5. ) Matt, i. 1 8. npw/ q <rwe?&*iv avrovs (before they came together), and 25. ovnjs TOP
irporoTOKov (her t first born), are in some copies designedly omitted, lest any should doubt
the perpetuat virginity of Mary the mother of Christ.
IV. The causes of various readings being thus ascertained, the
next step is to consider the sources whence the true reading is to be
determined. The legitimate sources of emendation, are 1. Manu-
scripts; 2. The most antient and best Editions; 3. Antient Ver-
sions, (and, for the Old Testament in particular, the Samaritan text
of the Pentateuch, together with the Masora, and the Talmud) ;
4,. Parallel Passages ; 5. Quotations from the Old and New Testa-
ment in the works of the Fathers ; and 6. Critical Conjecture. But
these various sources are all to be used with great judgment and
caution, as being fallible criteria \ nor is the common reading ever
to be rejected but upon the most rational grounds.
1. MANUSCRIPTS. Having already given some observations on
the age of the manuscripts* together with an account of some of the
most antient 1 , it will only be necessary that we should in this place
i See an account of the principal Heljrew and Greek MSS* in pp, 8793, 94, 95. 1 IS
157. of the present volume.
On the Various Readings [Part I.
offer a few hints concerning their relative value, and the application
of them to the determination of various readings.
(1.) In general) ihen, we may affirm ihab Represent copies of the Scrip-
lures of the Old and New Testament, under the guardianship of the Jewish,
Samaritan and Christian churches, agreeing in even/ thing essential, are
of the same authenticity and authority with ihe original autographs ; not-
withstanding the errors ihat have crept into them- from whatever cause.
(2.) The number of manuscripts, however, is not so witch to be considered,
as their quality, antiquity, and agreement to///* the most antient interpreters;
for the irue reading may be preserved in a tingle manuscript.
(3.) Those mctiiMcr/pis are to be accounted the best, which are most con-
sonant with those used by the aatienl interpreters , and, with regard to the
Old Testament in pen ticular, M. de Rossi states, that those manuscripts are
in every case preferable which have not been tampered with by the Maso-
reles, and which have the Cha/dee paraphrase interjected^ in alternate verses.
(4..) Although, other things being equal, the more antiently and accurately
written manuscripts are to be preferred, yet a recent and incorrect copy
*may often have the better reading, because it may have been transcribed
Jroin an excellent and antient copy.
(5.) An accurate manuscript is preferable to one that is negligently
written.
Various readings. thorcfore a particularly in the Hebrew Scriptures, which are found
in manuscripts transcribed by a learned person, or for a learned person, from some cele-
brated or corrected copy, are to be preferred to those written for private use ; and the
readings found in ant lent and unpointed manuscripts, written for the use of the syna-
gogue, are better than those found in MasoretJc exemplars.
(6.) The first erased reading of a manuscript is not always on error of
the copyist, nor is the second substituted one a /ways the heller reading.
Both are to be tried by the touchstone of ihe antient versions, and in the
Pentateuch by the BaMaritan text aho.
(7.) Other things being equal* Mkhaelis states, that a Lcctionarium is
not of equal value with a manuscript of the same antiquity ihat contains
ihe "books of ihe New Testament complete, because in ihe former the text
was frequently altered, according to the readings whiJi were most approved
at the time whe.i it was written ; though Lectionaria sometimes have read-
ings of great importance. 1
(8.) In reckoning up the number of manuscripts for or against any par-
ticular reading, il will be necessary,
FIKST, To distinguish properly between one manuscript and another^ that
the same MS. be not counted iwice over, and consequently ONE pass for TWO*
This (it is now ascertained) was the case with the Codex BQZSB, which has been proved
to be the same which was the second of Stephens's MSS. marked 0, and not two distinct
manuscripts, Wherever, therefore, a number of manuscripts bears evident marks of
having been transcribed in succession, that is, each of them being first a copy taken from
another, and then an original having a copy taken from it, or where all are taken from
one common original, they are not to be considered as furnishing so many different in-
stances of various reading, but should be estimated only as one, whose authority resolves
itself into that of the first manuscript. Inattention to this circumstance has contributed to
increase the number of various readings beyond what they really are. But though two
manuscripts, one of which is copied from the other, can be admitted only as a single evi-
dence, yet, if a word is faded in the more antient one, it may be supplied from that which
is more modern. Manuscripts which, though not immediately copied from each other,
exhibit a great uniformity in their readings, seem to be the produce of the same country,
end to have, as it were, the usual readings of that country. A set of manuscripts of this
Itfed is to be considered as the same edition, in which it is of no importance to the
authenticity of a reading whether five hundred or five thousand copies be taken. Numbers
alone, therefore, decide nothing in the present instance.
i Introduction, Vol. ii. p. 161. ' *""'
Ch. V.] In the Old and New Testaments. 185
SECONDLY, We must carefittly observe what part of the Scriptures the
several manuscripts actually contain, and in what respects they are de~
Jective.
There are few MSS. extant, which contain either the Old or the New Testament en-
tire, and have been transmitted to us without loss and damage. Of the MSS. of the Old
Testament, which have been described in pp. 87 89. supra, not one is complete ; and
with regard to the New Testament, we have already seen that the Codices Alexandrinus,
Vaticanus, and Leicestren&is, are mutilated. Other MSS. contain the Gospels, or the
Gospels and Acts of the Apostles; others the Acts and Pauline Epistles, or the Catholic
Epistles, or both ; others have the Epistles by themselves ; and there are several manu-
scripts which contain the whole of 'the New Testament except the Apocalypse; to which
are to be added the Lectionaries, or select portions of the New Testament; which were
read as lessons, or Epistles and Gospels in the service of the church. Now it is abso-
lutely necessary that we observe the state and condition of MSS,, in order that we may
avoid false conclusions and inferences from the non- production of a manuscript for a
various reading by any editor of the New Testament, who professedly gives an account of
the various readings of MSS., as if it therefore did not vary, when in reality the text itself
was wanting therein; and also in order that we may not cite a MS. in favour of any-
reading, where in truth such MS. has no reading at all. From inattention to this
obvious rule, Amelotte ! cited the first codex of Stephens, the Coraplutensian, Cardinal
Ximenes's, Cisneros's, and that of Alcala, as so many different manuscripts, when, in fact,
there was but one and the same printed edition.
THIRDLY, tve must also observe whether the MSS. have been entirely
and exactly collated*
Sometimes, perhaps, only the more noted and important texts have been consulted. This
was the case with the Codex Claromontanus, as collated by Beza, and also with the MSS,
of the Aposlolic Epistles in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth, which have only been
collated for the controverted clause in 1 Johnv. 7. Sometimes also it happens that MSS.
have come late into the hands of editors of Ihe New Testament, after the printing was
begun, and consequently only part of the various lections have been exhibited. This was
the case both with Dr, Mill and with Griesbach in their critical editions. Again, It
sometimes happens that a manuscript has been collated in the beginning, but, from some
accident or oihor, the collation of it has not been completed. This was the case with the
Codyx Cyprius, of which we had no entire collation until Dr. Scholz printed one at tbe
end of bib Dissertation on that manuscript 3 , and also with the Codex Montfortianus* which
was collated in the Gospels and most parts of the Acts of the Apostles, and in part qf the
Epistle to the Romans. Nor had we any complete collation of it, until the Rev. Dr*
Barrett printed one at the end of his facsimile of the Codex Rescriptus of Matthew's
Gospels, now preserved in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. 3 It is therefore abso-
lutely necessary that we should inquire into these particulars, that we may not be deceived
ourselves, or deceive others, by alleging an authority that has never been examined.
2. The best and most antient PRINTED EDITIONS, an account of
which is given in the Appendix to this volume, are so far only to b
admitted in evidence, as they are immediately taken from manuscripts*
The various readings, however, which they contain, are not to be
neglected, particularly those of the Hebrew Bibles printed in Rabbi
Ben Chaim's or Hajim's Masoretical edition. In the New Testa-
ment, as the readings found in all the printed editions rest on the
authority of a few manuscripts which are not always the most antient,
the concurrence of all these editions cannot confer great authority on
the readings adopted by them, in opposition to others which appear
to be well supported.
i Amelotte, the bitter enemy of the learned and pious Port- Royalists, published a
French translation of the New Testament in four volumes, Svo., in the years 16661668.
In his notes he boasted of having consulted all the manuscripts in Europe, which he after-
wards confessed he had not seen / Chalmers's Biographical Dictionary, vol, ii. pp,95 97.
a Scholz, Curae Critics* in Historiam Textus Evangeliorum, pp. 8090.
s Barrett* Evangelium secundum Matthajum ex Codice Rescripto in Bibliothcca OoJ.
legii SS, Trinitatis juxta Dublin. Appendix, pp. 5 35.
186 On the Various Readings [Part L
3. The ANTIENT VERSIONS (of which an account has already been
given), though not free from error, nevertheless afford important as-
sistance towards determining the true readings of passages, as they
show what readings their authors considered to be genuine : but it is
necessary that we consult only correct texts of such vei'sions.
(I.) Antient Versions are a legitimate source of emendation, unless upon
collation &e have reason to conclude that the translators of them ivere
clearly mistaken.
One or two examples will illustrate this remark. In James v. 12. many MSS,, the
Arabic of the London Polyglott, the Armenian and the Sclavonic versions, as also the
3Monk Antiochus, Oecumenius, and TheophylaCt, read Iva /MJ ets faotcpurw Treo^Tpe, lest
ye fall into hypocrisy. But the Codices Alexandrinus and Vaticanus, and several other
manuscripts, besides the printed editions, and the Syriac, Arabic (as edited by Erpenius),
Coptic, Ethiopic, Vulgate, and other versions, all read the clause as it appears in our
authorised English version, which is unquestionably the true reading, viz. Iva fty viro
Kpurw srarijre, lest ye fall into condemnation. Again, in 1 Pet. v. 13. we read, affira^rai
vfjios % t> Ba&v\wi ffvyei&Kn]. Here some word is evidently to be supplied, in order to
complete the sense. Dr. Mill conjectures that Peter's wife was intended. But the word
fKKtojfna, church, is found in the margin of two manuscripts (4 and 33 of Griesbach's no-
tation), and in the Syriac, Arabic, Armenian, and Vulgate versions. It ought therefore
to be received into the text. It Is very properly supplied in Italic characters by the
learned and venerable translators of our authorised JEnglish version, who render the verse
thus ; The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you. Once
more, in 2 Pet. ii. 2, the apostle, predicting the false teachers who would corrupt the
church by their destructive doctrines, says, that many shall follow, avrtov rats airuteiais,
their destructions, that is, their pernicious ways (as our translators have rendered it), their
heretics of destruction or destructive opinions, mentioned in the preceding verse. This
reading, however, is only found in the MSS. 43 and 65 of Griesbach's notation (both
of the twelfth century), and in a fetV others of no note. But instead of it, we read,
<wreA7ws that is, fascinousnesses or uncteanncs&es, in the Codices A. B. C. (Alexan-
drinus, Vaticanus, and Ephrems) : and in more than fifty other manuscripts, most of
which are among the most antient, correct, and authentic. This is also the reading of
both the Syriac, all the Arabic, the Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Sclavonic, and Vulgate
versions, and of the fathers Chrysostom, Theophilus, Oecuraenius, and Jerome. The
word atfehyetats, lasciviousnesses, is, therefore, beyond all doubt, the true reading, and Is
very properly printed as such by Griesbach : and it points out the nature of the heresy
intended by the apostle. It xvas a sort of antinomianism. The heretics alluded to, pam-
p0red and Indulged the lusts of the flesh ; and if the Nicolaitaus are meant, it is very ap-
plicable to them, for they taught the community of wives, &c.
(2.) Antient manuscripts, supported by some of the antient versions and
by the seme, render a reading certainly right, though it be not found in the
more modern.
In ISJL Iviii. 10. we read, Ifthou draw out % soul to the hungry. This, Bishop Lowth
remarks, is a correct rendering of the present Hebrew text, but it is an obscure phrase, and
without example in any other place. Instead, however, of "]t>&3 (NaresHfiK) thy soul, eight
manuscripts (three of which are antient) read "pin 1 ? (LaHeueK) thy bread; and so it Is
rendered in the Syriac version. The proper reading thereof is, draw out (or bring forth}
thy bread. The Septuagint version expresses both words, Toy apror e/c TIJI $VXTIS <fQv, thy
bread from thy said- J
(3.) The concurrence of the antient versions is sufficient to establish a
reading as certainly right, tuhen the sense or parallel place shows both the
propriety of that reading, and the corruption of what is found in the copies
of the originaL
* Gerard's Institutes, p. 271. Lowth's Isaiah, vol. ii. p, 343. Another eminent com-
roentator, however, defends the common reading and rendering. He is of opinion that
the ecuendation above proposed is a gloss, and should not be adopted. To draw out the
wttl in f^jeving the poor, is to do it not of constraint or necessity, but cheerfully, and
is boA nervous and elegant. His soul pities, and his hand gives." (Dr. A. Clarke on
Isa. Iviii. 10.}
Ch. V.] In the Old and Neto T&lammti. 187
Thus, in Prov. xviii. 21. (22 of English version) we read, Whoso findeth a wife, find-
eth a good thing. This is not true in every instance ; it contradicts other maxims of the
inspired writer, as Dr. Kennicott has shown, who is sufficiently eloquent on this occasion.
He therefore conjectured that Solomon originally expressed himself thus ; he that Jindeth
a GOOD wife, jindeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour from the LORD. This reading de-
rives a strong confirmation from the fact, that the epithet for good is uniformly found in
the Septuagint Greek, the Syriac, Arabic> and Vulgate versions. It is likewise found
in two antient manuscript Chaldee paraphrases of the Book of Proverbs (one of which is
at Cambridge, and the other in the King of Prussia's library at Berlin). All these con-
curring testimonies^ together with the necessary sense of the text itself, prove that the
Hebrew originally read, and ought to be so restored, He that findeth a good wife, Jindeth
a good thing. l
(4.) The Samaritan Pentateuch, luhich is only a different copy of the
same original text) being more antient than the Babylonish captivity^ and
religiously preserved in the antient Hebrew characters, is a legitimate
source of emendation. Although it differs in many places from the present
Hebrew text, and these differences have been made objections against its au-
thority, becaitse it has been taken for granted that it must be turong wherever
it is not conformable to the Hebrew; yet as this assumption proceeds on the
erroneous supposition of the absolute integrity of the Masoretic copies, it
ought not to be regarded.
Bauer has given a considerable number of rules for the application
of the Samaritan Pentateuch to the determination of various readings,
which he has illustrated by examples, for the whole of which we have
not room. The following are such of his remarks as are of most ge-
neral application.
(1.) Where the Samaritan text has the larger sections repeated from the other chapters
of the Pentateuch, it is interpolated, and the Hebrew text is on no account to be corrected
from it.
(2.) Where the Samaritan text contains readings in support of the peculiar dogmas en-
tertained by the Samaritans, there it is to be considered as altered by the fraud of that sect.
(3.) Where the Samaritan text more strictly follows the rules of grammar, avoiding
enallages of number and gender ; and on the other hand, where the Hebrew text departs
from those rules, not frequently expressing the enallage both of number and gender ;' in
such cases the reading of the Hebrew text is preferable to that of the Samaritan.
(4.) Where the Samaritan text contains a clearer reading, which removes any difficulty
or obscurity, by the addition of a single word or phrase, there it has evidently been cor-
rected by the Samaritan doctors, and the reading of the Hebrew copies is to be preferred.
The application of this and the preceding canon to most of the corrections which Houbi-
gant conceived might be drawn from the Samaritan Pentateuch, will show that those cor-
rections are of no value whatever.
(5.) Where a reading in the Samaritan text departs from that of the Hebrew text, in the
guttural letters, the true reading is to be found in the latter.
(6. ) A various reading in the Samaritan text, which appears to be derived from the re-
semblance of the shape of the letters, is to be rejected.
7.) A reading in the Samaritan text which is entirely unsupported by the authority of
the Masoretic copies, and of the antient versions, is not to be regarded as the true one, and
is not preferable to the Masoretic reading.
(8.) If the Samaritan text agrees with the Septuagint version (as frequently is the case),
their testimony is to be considered but as one, from the very close affinity subsisting
between them.
(9.) A various reading of the Samaritan Pentateuch is of the greatest value when it is
confirmed by the antient Versions of Aquila, and Syramacbus, by the Syriac version, the
Chaldee paraphrase, and the best and most antient Hebrew MSS. Thus, in Gen. xxii.
IS. instead of, behold BEHIND him "UiN (ACH^R), the Samaritan reads THM (ACH^D) one, and
with this reading agree the Septuagint and Syriac versions, the Targum or Chaldee
paraphrase of Qnkelos, and twenty-nine of the manuscripts collated by Dr. Kennicott,
together with thirteen of those collated by De Rossi, The proper rendering therefore of
this verse is, And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked; and behold a ram caught in a
thicket by his horns.
i Kennieott's Second Dissertation on the Hebrew Text, pp. 189192. Dr. Gerard
has given four additional instances of the above rule. Institutes, pp. 272, 273.
188 On the Various Readings [Part I.
The two following canons are selected from Dr. Gerard's Institutes of Biblical Criti-
cism, (pp. 270, 271.) with a few corrections.
(10.) Readings in the Pentateuch supported by the Samaritan copy, a few Hebrew
MSS., the amient versions, parallel places, and the sense, are certainly rightj though they
are not found in the generality of Hebrew manusciipts nor in editions.
Thus in Gen. 1. So. after ye shall carry tip my lanes from hence, the parallel text in
Exod, xiii. 19. twelve manuscripts, the Samaritan Text, the Septuagint, Syriac, Arabic,
and Vulgate versions, all add with you. These words, therefore, are part of" the text, and
are very properly incorporated in it by Dr. Boothroydj in his new translation of the
Scriptures.
In Lev. ix. 21. the common reading is, as Moses commanded: but in thirty manuscripts
the Samaritan test, the Septuagint and Arabic versions, and the Targum of Onkelos, we
read, As Jehovah commanded Moses : which unquestionably is the true reading, and is
supported not only by these authorities but also hy the whole chapter itself.
(II,) Readings in the Pentateuch, supported by the Samaritan text, antient versions,
parallel places, and the sense, are certainly right, though they are not found in any (or in
only one) Hebrew manuscript now extant.
Thus in Gen. ii. 24. we read, And they shall be one flesh s but it is they TWO in the Sama-
ritan text, and in the Septuagint, Syriac, Old Italic, Vulgate, and Arabic versions compared
with Matt. xix. 5. Mark x. 8, 1 Cor. vi. 16. Eph. v. 31., Philo Judasus, Tertullian,
Epiphanius, Jerome, and Augustine. In Exod. vi. 20. after she bare him Aaron mid
Muses, u and Miriam their sister," is added in the Samaritan text, the Septuagint and
Syriac versions, and in one manuscript. There is no doubt but that it forms part of the
sacred text. Again, in Exod. xii. 40. we read, The sojourning of the children of Israel,
Who dwti in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. But this is not true, for it
was only two hundred and fifteen years s and It contradicts Gal. in. 17, which says, that
it was only four hundred and thirty years from the calling of Abraham, two hundred and
fifteen of which elapsed before the going into Egypt. (Compare Gen. xii. 4. xvii. 1. 21.
xxv. 26. and xlvii. 9.) The Ibllowing is the verse as it appears in all the MSS. and
editions of the Samaritan Pentateuch, confirmed by the Alexandrian Manuscript of the
Septuagint. Auw the sojourning of the children of Israel, and of their fathers, which they
sajaumed in the land of Canaan and in the tend of Egypt, wasfour hundred and thirty years.
This is the true reading, and removes all doubt and obscurity. It is proper to remark,
that the last three examples of additional passages from the Samaritan text are introduced
by Dr. Eoothroyd into the text of his translation of the Bible.
(5.) Such antient versions as were immediately made from the original
are proper sources of emendation, ichen or present Hebrew and Greek
manu&cripLs disagree ; and their respective value is in proportion to their
priority (if date, their being made from accurate exemplars, their being lite-
red translations, and their being conjirmed by one another, and, as far as
respects the Pentateuch, by the Samaritan text; for the sole dissent of ver-
sions, unsupported by other authorities, constitutes only a dubious lection*
Before, however, we admit any various reading into the text on the authority of an
antient version, we must he certain that the text of such version has not been corrupted.
And BO variaus reading eat* be derived f rom the modern Latin, Fcrnm* of the Greek or
Unential versions, which are given in the Polyglotts, because the Latin translators have in
some instances mistaken the sense of such Oriental versions.
(6.) The Greek version of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint, btin
the most antient and illustrious, is preferable to the Old Syriac version of
the same portion of Scripture ; but the Old Syriac version of the Nen Tes-
tament, being executed at the close of the apostolic age, and consequently the
most antient of all the translations of the Nero Testament, is preferable to
every other version of it. "
T by the ?T ek Versi U m somethnes &e genuine lections, even
HebreW "** ow extant. For- instance, in
H a*. *, eywre
t I* ? '? a "T 1 * 31 deficieoc y ^ ** Hebrew MSS. and printed
'Tv re - the authons / d En S li&h *, no* being able to find that any
* intimate that there was * conversation, mde-,
v .. >*antaemtbethi*
ency which exists m all the MSS. and editions, is supplied In the
S^ J! SUpp0rted L b7 the Samaritan tt, the Syriac and Vulgate Latin
Targums, the Greek translation of Aquila.and by the passage as
Ch. V.] In the Old and New Testaments. 189
cited by Philo : all of which supply the deficient words, Let us go out into thejield. There
is no doubfcj therefore, that they form part of the original text, and that the verse ought to
be translated thus : And Cain said unto Abel his brother, Let us go out into the field. And. it
came to pass, when they were in thejield, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him*
Again, in Acts xiii. 18. we read about the time of forty years sujferedhe (erpoiroipopvjo'w)
their manners in the wilderness; that is, he dealt indulgently with them, However the
Israelites provoked Jehovah, he mercifully bore with and endured them. On which clause
we find in the margin of our authorised version the following conjecture : Gr. erpoirotpopyffev,
perhaps for eTpo^)o0opi7<rey, bore or fed them as a nurse beareth orfeedeth her cMd. This
conjecture is confirmed by the Codices Alexandrinus, Ephremi, and Basileensis, and four
others of less note, as well as by the Syriac, Arabic, Coptic, and Ethiopic versions, and the;
quotations in some of the fathers ; all of which read eTpotyoQopyo-ev, he nourished and fed
them, or bore them about in his arms as a tender nurse does her child. This reading agrees
excellently with the scope of the place, and is at least of equal value with that in the com-
monly received text. Griesbach has therefore admitted it, and excluded the other. Both
readings, indeed, when rightly understood, speak nearly the same sense ; but the latter is
the most expressive, and agrees best with St. Paul's discourse, and with the history to which
he alludes, The same form of expression occurs in Exod. xix. 4. Numb. xi. 12. Isa.
xlvi. 3, 4. and Ixiii. 9.
(7.) The Oldest Latin Versions of the New Testament, being of very high
antiquity, notwithstanding they contain some false readings, are nevertheless
of great value, because they lead to a discovery of the readings in very antient
Greek manuscripts, that existed prior to the date of any that are now extant.
The vulgate,for instance, in its present state, being (as we have already seen)
a mixture of the Old Italic version, and that of Jerome, points out the state
of the original text, partly in thejirst and partly in the fourth century, and
it gives great authoiity to those readings which it clearly indicates : it also
contains several which are preferable to the present readings, and are sup-
ported by some of the best and oldest manuscripts.
Thus the literal rendering of Jer. li. 19, is He is the former of all things, and the tad
of his inheritance, which is unintelligible. The venerable translators of our authorised
version have supplied Israel is the rod, &c. most probably from the parallel sentence in
Jer. x. ] 6. ; and that this is the true reading is evident from the Vulgate version, which
reads et Israel scrptrum hereedltalis ejus, and also from the Chaldee paraphrase, which is
further supported by twenty-three manuscripts collated by Dr. Kennicott* J
(8.) The Syriac version being very literal } ascertains clearly the readings
which it followed, to which, on account of its antiquity, it gives great autho-
rity; and it has preserved some, that appear to be genuine*
Thus in '2 Sam. xv. 7. we read, It came to pass after forty years, which is manifestly
erroneous, though supported by the commonly printed Vulgate, the Septuagint, and the
Chaldee, David reigned only forty years, and if we follow the text, the rebellion of
Absalom would follow long after the death of David. In order lo obviate this difficulty,
some commentators have proposed to date from the time when David was first anointed by
the prophet Samuel. But the Syriac version , (which is confirmed by the Arabic versvon,by
Josephus, by the Sixtine edition ot the Vulgate, by several manuscripts of the same version,
and by Thcodoiet,) reads FOUR. Most learned men are of opinion that D'SOIH (ARBATZM)
forty, is an error for smN (Aiiua) four. Accordingly, Dr. Boothroyd has adopted the
reading of the Syriac version, and translates at the end of FOUB, years, in his new version of
the Old Testament.
(9.) Every deviation in the antient versions, both of the Old and New Tesla*
menls, is not to be considered as a proof of a various reading in the original
manuscript whence it was taken ; for the translator may have mistaken the
original word, or he may have given it a signification different from what it
bears at present, and ihis is the case particularly with the^ Septuagint
(10.) One or a few an Lient versions may render a reading probable, when
it is strongly supported by the sense, connection, or parallel places, in oppo-*
i Gerard's Institutes, p. 87. Keanicott*s Second Dissertation, pp. 4S9, 440. and his
Dissertatio Generalis, 41. at the end of the second volume of his Critical Edition of the
Hebrew Bible.
On the Various Readings [Part I.
dtion to one that does not agree txith these, though found in other versions
and in manuscripts,
Thus, in Gen. xiv. 20. we read, And he gave tithes of all. This leaves it uncertain whether
jVIt'lcliiaedek or Abram gave tithes. It rather seems to be the former, but it was the latter.
In Heb. vii. 4. as well as the Samaritan text, and the Septuagint version, we have Abram
pats t him a tithe of dl, eStmtcev awrw "Afipafj. Se/ca-rrj*' cbro -iravrtov ; which is probably the
genuine reading.
A^ain, in Isa. si. 5. we read, All flesh shall see together, which is an imperfect sentence.
The translators of our authorised version have supplied it, referring to the glory of God
mentioned in the preceding part of the verse. This omission is antient, being prior to the
Chaldee, Syriac, and Vulgate versions: but all the copies of the Septuagint version and the
parallel passage in Isa. lii. 10. read, shall see the salvation of our God t which lection is ac-
knowledged by Luke(iii. 6.)- Bishop Lowth therefore considers it as genuine, and has
admitted it into the text of his translation of Isaiah.
(11.) The concurrence of all or most of the antient versions, in a reading
not found in manuscripts now extant, renders such reading probable > if it be
agreeable to the sense, though not absolutely contrary to it. 1
Thus, in 1 Sam. ix. 7. we read, What shall we bring the man tS*W~? (LO-ISH)? In one of the
manuscripts collated by Dr. Kennicott, (No. 182. a manuscript of the fourteenth century)
we read C?T^H?T CW (IA-ISH H-ELOHUI), to the man of God t which is confirmed by the
Chaldee paraphrase, and by the Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, and Arabic versions, and is
probably the genuine reading.
(12-) Of the Chaldee paraphrases ~, when manuscripts vary, those are to
&e preferred which are the more antient) and which have nat been corrected,
according to the present Masoretic text.
(13.) The Masom^ 9 Talmud, and Talmudical writers are also sources of
emendation, but of no gnat authority in readings of any moment*
With regard to the Masora, that reading only is to be admitted from it
which is supported by antient versions, and is in perfect harmony with
the context, the analogy of language, and parallel passages.
In Isa, ix. 2. (Heb, ; 3 of English version) we read, Thou hast multiplfed the nation,
and not the joy. The Ketib has ^ (LA) not, with which the Vulgate version, and that of
Symmadius agree; but the Keri reads ^ (LI) to kirn, or it, that is, the nation; and with this
agree the Chaldee paraphrase, the Septuagint, the Vulgate version, the readings in the text
of fifteen manuscripts collated by Dr. Kennicott, and six of those collated by M. De Rossi.
The latter reading is not only best supported, but it is also excellently in unison with the
preceding verse. Bishop Lowth has therefore adopted it, and translates thus : Thou hast
muttipHed the nation, thou hast increased their joy,.
Readings derived from the Talmud and Talmudical writers are only to
be admitted, when they expressly cite the Hebrew text, and when their
readings are confirmed by manuscripts. In judging of the various lections
obtained from the Jewish writers, those which are collated from the
Talmud, (though few in number,) are of great value, and equal to those
furnished by Aquila, Symmachus, the Syriac version, and the Chaldee pa-
raphrase. But such as are derived from the commentaries and lexicons of
the Rabbins, who lived between the tenth and thirteenth centuries, are
(according to Prof. Bauer) to be accounted equal with the readings of
manuscripts. 4
4. PARALLEL PASSAGES afford a very material help in determin-
ing various readings, where all other assistance fails. Cappel 5 and
Gerard's Institutes, pp. 280, 2S1. where several additional examples are given, for
which we have not room.
* See an account of the Chaldee paraphrases, pp. 3338. of this volume.
8 See an account of the Hasora in pp. 163166. supra, and of the Talmud in Part II
. Cliap. II. Sect. II. 6. infra, of this volume.
Bauer, Critica Sacra, pp. 444, 445.
Attica Sacra, (Jib, i. cc. iiWxiv.) vol. i. pp. 14 135. Svo, edition, with
L's notes. '
Ch. V.] In tlie Old and New Testaments. 191
Dr. Kennicott l have shown at great length what use may be made of
parallel passages, in order to ascertain the genuine reading where it
may be dubious, or to restore it where it may be lost. Professor
Bauer has given an abstract of Cappel's collection of parallel pas-
sages in pp.235 238* of his Critica Sacra; and two or three instances
will show the importance of them in ascertaining a true reading in the
New Testament.
In Matt. i. 4. not fewer than fourteen manuscripts and two of the fathers
read A^j/a^, Aminadaw. ; but the parallel passge in 1 Chron. ii. 10. has
. .
Aminadax, which therefore is the genuine reading of the Evangelist. Again,
in Matt, xxvii. 46. instead of Xa^a. (lama) 9 many MSS. read ?^ (leima),
, (lima), or \tpa, (lema) ; but a reference to Psal.xxii. 2. ( Heb.; or 1. of
.. . . .
English version), shows that Xa^a is the proper reading. Once more, in
Matt. ii. 23. the common reading is Nafyper (Nassarer) ; but in the Codices
C. E. K. (Ephremi, Basileensis B. VI. 21. and Cyprius,) and many other
MSS. of less note, besides several printed editions, and the Coptic, Arme-
nian, Italic, Vulgate, and Anglo-Saxon versions, and also in the quotations
of Eusebius and Cyril, we read Na&psSr (NazareTH). And that this is the true
'
reading is evident from comparing the numerous 'other passages of the four
Gospels in which this place is called Nazareth and not Nazaret.
(1.) Where Parallel Passages, together toith the sense, support the reading
of antient manuscripts, they show that such reading is perfectly right.
Thus in Isa. Ixi. 4. we read, they shall build the old wastes : but the sentence is incom-
plete, as we know not who are the builders. After they shall build, four MSS. (two of
which are antient) add ^JQQ (MaMacH) they that spring from t/iee : and this reading is con-
firmed by Iviii. 1 2. where the sentence is the very same, this word being added. Bishop
Lowth therefore receives it into the text, and translates the sentence thus :
And they that spring from thee shall build up the ruins of old times.
(2.) In a text evidently corrupted, a parallel place may suggest a reading
perfectly genuine. 2
Thus, in the common printed editions of Judg. vii. 18. we read, Say, of the Lord and
of Gideon. This is defective, The venerable English translators have, with great pro-
priety, supplied the sword, y\n (ae^es) from the successful exploit of Gideon, related
in v. 20. The word which those learned but much traduced men thus supplied from
a parallel place, proves to be right : for it is found in ten manuscripts, besides the Chaldee
Paraphrase, and the Syriac and Arabic Versions. In like manner they have supplied
the word fourth in 2 Kings xxv. 3. from Jer. Hi. 6. to complete the sense ; and this supply
is also confirmed by the different versions.
(3.) To determine with accuracy the authority of parallel passages in the
Old Testament, they should be divided into four classes^ viz.
1 . Passages containing the historical narration of an event which occurred but mce*
or the record of a prayer or speech but once uttered. Ex. gr. Jos. six. 50. xxiv. SO.
comp. with Jud. ii. 9. 2 Sam. xxii. with Ps. xviii. The Book of Kings, with that of
Chronicles. 2 Kings xxv. with Jer. lii. 2 Kings xviii. to xx. with Isa. xxxvi. to xsxix.
Isa. ii. 2. 4. with Micah iv. 1 3.
2. Passages containing a command, and either a repetition of it, or a record of its being
obeyed : Ex. xx. 2 17. with Deut. v. 6 22. Ex. xxv. to xxx. with xxxvi. to xxxix*
Levit. xi. 13 19. with Deut. xiv. 12 18. Ezekiel xii. B. with 7.
3. Proverbial sayings, or-' expressions frequently repeated: Num. xxi. 28* 2& and
xxiv. 17. with Jer. xlviii- 45, 4(5, Ezek. v. 7. with xi, 12. Jer, v. 9, and 20. with ix, 9.
Psalm xlii. & 1 1 . with xliii. 5. Jer. x. 25. with Psalm Ixxix. 6, 7. Jer. x. 1 6, with Ii. 1 9.
Isa. xxiv. 1 7, 1 8, with Jer. xlviii. 43, 44.
1 In his first Dissertation oa the Hebrew Text, pp. I3 79, 198. 444, 457. 461. 481.
484. 502. 510.
2 Gerard's Institutes, p. 273. Where th reader will find several additional illustrations
of this canon.
192 On the Various Readings [PartJ.
4. Records of the same genealogies, iChron. -with several chapters of Genesis, and Ezra,
with Nehemiah,
In any such passages as these, where there is a difference in numbers or.
names where there is more than a verbal difference in records of the
same transaction or where there is even a verbal difference in copies of
the same prayer or speech, in the printed text, but not in manuscripts and
versions, there it is erroneous, and ought to be corrected. 1
5. QUOTATIONS from the Old and New Testaments in the Writings of
the Fathers are 'an emendatory source which is by no means to be
neglected ; but only correct editions of their works should be con-
sulted. Among the antient fathers of the church, those are particu-
larly worthy of attention and collation who wrote in the Greek lan-
guage ; because they spoke, and read, and wrote that very language
in which the sacred writings of the New Testament were originally
composed. The phrase and diction of those writings was, therefore,
familiar to them ; they naturally expressed themselves in the Scripture
style and language. When they referred to any texts of Scripture,
or discoursed more at large upon them, they would of course be
guided by the original Greek of the New Testament 2 3 and not by any
version that had been made, and might possibly vary from it ; whereas
the Latin fathers being only accustomed to the Latin version 9 it is as
much to be expected that they should conform their language, quo-
tations, and comments to it ; though, perhaps,, upon some occasions,
and according to their ability, taking notice also of the Greek original.
A Latin father will be an evidence for the Latin version, where he
takes no express notice of the Greek: and according to the clearness
and fulness of that evidence, we may argue, that the Latin version, or
some copy or copies ,of it, had that reading in his time, which is cited
by him. And this may deserve to be attended to with regard to any
omissions in the Greek MSS. which the Latin may be thought to have
supplied : but still the testimony of the Latin father in this case will
prove nothing more than the reading of a Latin version : by what
authority that version is supported, is a matter of further enquiry,
Indeed where it can be shown that a Latin lather followed no parti-
cular version, but translated directly for himself (as Tertullian and
Cyprian have frequently done) ; this brings us somewhat nearer to
some manuscript in the original language, and may be considered,
according as it shall happen to be circumstantiated, as a distinct tes-
timony for the reading of some Greek MS. in particular. 3
In order to judge of the true reading of any text of Scripture,
from any quotation of it, with which we meet in the writings of the
fathers, the following criteria have been laid down, principally by
J. D. Michaelis.
(1.) In considering the testimony of a tingle father, w are in the first
place to enquire in what age he lived, and what were his abilities ? Whether
he teas a person of learning and judgment, of accuracy and exactness, or
lton's Codex Criticus of the Hebrew Bible, p. 18.
t0 - to obs , erved tbat lhe Greek *a*he generally quote the Old Testament from
* Br, Bemmzm's Dissertation on a Tim. iii. 16, pp> 28, 29.
Ch. V.] In the Old and New Testaments. j#3
otherwise? And also whether the treatise or *uor, in tvhich the Scriptures
are so quoted, be the genuine production of the writer whose name it bean ?
(2.) Wherever it is certain that the quotations were actually taken from
manuscripts, they are of very great importance in deciding on the authen-
ticity of a true reading, and are in general to be preferred to any manu-
scripts of the Greek Testament notv extant, the oldest of which cannot be
placed earlier than the end of the fourth or the commencement of the fifth
century,
If therefore a father, -who flourished in the fifth and subsequent ages, has a particular
reading, it is the same as if we found it in a manuscript of that time.
(3.) As the fathers have frequently, though not always, quoted from
memory, it is necessary to make a distinction between those passages which
they expressly declare that they have taken literally from manuscripts* and
those which they quote without any such assurance.
^ (4.) We are not therefore to reject the quotation of a, father ^ became It
differs from the common text, but must first examine whether it cannot be
discovered in manuscripts of the New Testament ; and to enable those who
have access ta manuscripts to make this comparison with as much ease as
possible, we should endeavour to procure the most accurate and copious ex-
tracts from the writings of the fathers.
_ If a reading, then, which had the appearance of being an error of memory, is actually
discovered in manuscripts, we may without hesitation put it down in the list of various
readings : its antiquity will he determined by the age in which the father who quoted it
lived : and the manuscripts which contain it will afford a secondary evidence of its age
and authenticity. But we must not judge of the writings of all the fathers, nor of all
the writings of the same father, in the same manner. They may be divided into three
different classes. 1. Commentaries, to which may be referred also those discourses which
were written as expositions of parts of the Bible. 2. Works of Education. 3. Polemical
writings. In the first it is evident that the book which is expounded is not quoted From
memory, but the author, in writing his commentary, had lying before him a manuscript of
the Greek Testament. But with respect to the polemical writings of the fathers, those
who are acquainted with their mode of disputation, and know that their principal object is
sometimes to confound their adversaries rather than to support the truth,, will refer the
quotations which appear in these productions to the lowest class. If a father was acquainted
with more than one reading to a passage, he would certainly quote that which best suited
his purpose, and with which he could most easily confute his opponents. It is therefore
not sufficient to know what reading he quotes, but we must likewise consider where he
quotes it : and those therefore who collect various readings from the writings of the
antient fathers, would do well to point out the book, chapter, edition, and page, in order
to enable the reader to form a proper judgment.
(5.) It is necessary to make an accurate distinction between a quotation
properly so called, and a passage of Scripture introduced and applied as
part of a discourse.
For if a writer, in treating ar.y known doctrine of the Bible, uses the words of Scrip-
ture, he is at liberty to add or subtract, to contract or dilate them in a manner that is besfc
adapted to the tenor of his discourse. But even such passages are not unworthy of notice,
for if they are different in different manuscripts, and any one of these latter coincides with
the former, the coincidence is not to be considered as a matter of chance. ^ But whence
manuscript corroborates the reading in such a passage, it is intitled to no voice ia deciding
on the text of the Greek Testament,
(6.) In collecting readings from the works of the fathers^ an accurate
distinction must be made between those who wrote in Greek, and those who
wrote in another language.
Properly speaking, the former only are to be considered when we select readings for the
Greek Testament, and the latter immediately relate to the text of the version from which
they are quoted, unless particular mention be made-of^the Greek, or the writer, like
Jerome, made a practice of correcting the' translation of his country from the original.
(7.) It must also be observed whether a father takes notice of a text only
once, or but seldom^ or vert/ often.
VOL. II. O
On the Various Headings [Part I.
For a /fcauenf repetition will make the slighter kinds of difference deserving of more
Attention ; whereas a single instance or two of that sort will be the more easily imputed to
a slip of the memory, or a casual mistake.
(8.) It is necessary to observe whether an author be uniform and con-
sistent with himself, or different and various.
If a text be found differently expressed by the same author, we shall often be at a loss
to know which he esteemed the right : and sometimes, perhaps, he may be wrong in each j
and yet sometimes, too, it may be easily discovered, that one passage was designed to ex-
press the text more exactly, and another was only a reference by memory, and from thence
proceeded the variation. An example of this we have in Chrysostom. In his comment
upon Acts xx. 28, he reads it ettA^<nai/ TOD ecu, Church of God, three times (though Dr..
Mill cites him there for the reading of Kvpiov (Lord) \ but in his comment on Eph. iv. 12.
he casually refers to this text, and quotes it probably by memory, and there he puts it down
^KKKtiffiav TOV Kupiov, that is, Church of the JLord.
(9.) The writings of the fathers are to be compared) one with another ;
and an inquiry must be instituted^ what testimony arises from them upon
the whole-
If it be a point, of which they generally take notice, or in which they are agreed ; if we
meet with no contrary voice, or none worthy of being regarded, or with some who argue
for it, while others criticise or comment upon it, this will afford the clearest and strongest
testimony that can be either desired or obtained.
(10.) We must compare the evidence arising from an examination of the
writings of the fathers, with that which appears to be the reading of the
Greek manuscripts in general* and see how well they agree together. Where
the MBS. in general and the fathers do agree, it must be something *uery
extraordinary that will make it reasonable to believe that they are altogether
in a mistake. Nay, that evidence from the fathers must be very strong,
luhich tc/// make it reasonable to think the Greek MSS. agreeing in general
among themselves^ are mistaken.
A casual citation of a text will not be sufficient to prove them so mistaken, nor a bare
comment upon a version, \\here it varies from the original : much less will this do, where
opposite testimonies can be produced from Greek writers ; and especially where those
opposite testimonies are so full upon the point, as supposes and implies that they found
the reading which they mention in the Greek copies which were in use in their days. If
any instance can be found in which it can be clearly proved from the writings of the
fathers, that tlie general and allowed reading of the Greek copies, in the early ages of the
church was different from the general reading of the Greek MSS. in our days, we should
without hesitation give up such general reading of our present MSS. But it is very
questionable whether one single instance of this sort can any where be found : and those
persons who raiie general clamours about the corruption of the manuscripts of the sacred
writings, unsupported by any solid proof s> are no more to be heard, but still more to be con,
deranedj than those who apeak in this manner of the writings of the fathers. But in a
matter of doubt and uncertainty, where the MSS. of the sacred writings in the original
language are divided, the united testimony of the fathers will turn the scale in favour of
the side for which they appear, and will more powerfully establish and confirm the general
reading of the Scripture MSS. where they are agreed, i
(11.) The Fathers having in general quoted the Scriptures very exactly,
as they had it in their copies^ whenever a reading followed by them agrees
with any ant lent manuscript^ it is in all probability the genuine reading.
Thus, in most copies of Matt, vi. ]. we read, Take heed that you do not your ALMS
wp): but m the Codices Vaticanus and Cantabriiensis and three or four oe
Cantabrigiensis, and three or four other
. of less antiquity, as also in the old Italic and Vulgate versions and most of the
Fathers, we read 3rawwij?, righteousness, that is, acts of righteousness. This reading is
most agreeable to the mode of speech which obtained among the Jttws * an d consequently
is the gunuine one. Griesbach has therefore inserted it in the text.
i Berrirnan's Dissertation, p. 38,
s That the Jews in the time of Christ understood the word tipW, BuHwwiwfc ng*tgw
iST-f ?"!? "Abundantly proved by Mr. John Gregory, Works?^^.
n, 1684, fc) and especially by Dr. Lightfoot, Works, Tof.fi. pp. 153, 154. folio
Ch. V.] In the Old and New Testaments. 195
Again, in Luke x. 1. we read that the Lord appointed other seventy disciples. The Co-
dices Vaticanus, Cantabrigiensis, and Medicaaus (No. 42, of Griesbach's notation), to-
gether with the Persian, Armenian, Vulgate, and four copies of the Old Italic versions,
read epSowKovra Suo, seventy-two; and in this reading they are supported by eleve^
Fathers principally of the Latin or Western Church. On the contrary, all the other
MSS. have simply e&$ofj.'rjKoi>Ta, seventy, in which reading they are supported by the
learned Greek Fathers, Eusebius, Gregory Bishop of Nyssa, Cyril, Eutbymius, Theophy-
lact, and Theophanes, and by Jrenaeus, Tertullian, Ambrose, Jerome Damasus, and
others among the Latin writers. The common reading, therefore, is established as the
genuine one by the concurrence of the Fathers with MSS.
Once more, in John i. 28. we read that Thew things were d&ne in Bethabctra. This
lection is found in thirty-one manuscripts, in the printed editions, in the Armenian ver-
sion, and a late exemplar of the Sclavonic version, and is preferred by Origeu, and after
him by Eusebius, Suidas, Jerome, and others. But it is certain that, instead of B^o-
jBapo, we ought to read ~BySa.vi.tt, Hetkany, which word is found in the Codices Alexan-
drinus, Vaticanus, Ephremi, Basileensis, Harleianus No. 5G84, Seidelii, Stephani 77,
Stephani IT, Regius No 2243^ (now 48) and Vaticanus 354, in B. and V. of Matthei*s
notation, in upwards of one hundred other MSS, of less antiquity, and in the Syriac,
Armenian, Persic, Coptic, and Vulgate versions, and in three MSS. of the Sclavonic
version (one of the twelfth, the other two of the fourteenth century). The reading of
"By&avia, Bethany, is also confirmed by the most eminent of the primitive Fathers prior to
the time of Origen (who is supposed to have first changed the reading) ; and is unques-
tionably the genuine one. Griesbach has therefore inserted it in the text.
(12.) The total silence ofihe Fathers concerning a reading, which '
have confirmed their opinion in a controverted point, justly renders that
reading suspicious^ unless such total silence can be satisfactorily accounted
J or -
This negative argument against a reading will be of little weight where it respects the
writings of one single author only : and where it is founded only upon some particular
part of his \\ orks, and such author has himself taken notice of the text in other places,
it will be of no weight at all. Nay, if but one or two only have made mention of a text,
this will be a better proof that it was read in their days, than any omission of their con-
temporaries, or of those that lived after them, will be a proof that it was not. But let us
take this argument in the strongest light, and let the utmost possible be made of it; it can
only furnish matter of doubt and enquiry ; it can at most amount to no more than pro-
bable and presumptive evidence, and nothing can be positively and certainly concluded
from it. One plain positive proof from the original MSS. or the antient versions, will be
able to weigh it down, unless it can be shown that they have been altered and corrupted.
6. The fragments of HERETICAL WRITINGS are not to be over-
looked in the search for various readings : for the supposition is
rash, that they generally corrupted the text of all parts of the sacred
Writings. 1
7. CRTTICALCONJECTUHE is not alone a legitimate source of emend-
ation, nor is it at all to be applied, unless the te,xt is manifestly
corrupted, and in the most urgent necessity : for the conjectural
criticism of an interested party, in his own cause, and in defiance of
positive evidence, is little better than subornation of testimony in a
court of law.
(1.) Conjectural Readings, strongly supported by the sense, connection,
the nature of the language, or similar texts, may sometimes be probable, es-
pecially token it can be shown that they would easily have given occasion to
the present reading : and readings jirst suggested by conjecture have some-
times been afterwards found to be actually in manuscripts, or in some version.
Thus, in Gen i. 8. the clause, And God saw that it was good, is wanting to complete the
account of the second dayjs work qf creation, but it is found in the tenth verse in the mid-
dle of the narrative of the third day's work. Hence, many learned men have conjectured,
either, 1. That the sentence, And the evening an(l the morning were the second day, nas
been transposed from verse 10. to verse 8. ; or 2. That the clause, AnA God saw that it
1 Stuart's Elements of Interpretation, p. 119, (Andover, 1822,}
o 2
On the Various Readings [Part I.
was "ood, has been transposed from verse 8. to verse 10. The latter conjecture affords the
most probable reading, and is to be preferred, being confirmed by the Septuagint version ;
the translators of which most evidently found this clause in the copies which they used,
* (2.) A Conjectural Reading, unsupported by any manuscripts, andunau-
thori sed by similarity of letters, by the connection and context of the passage
itself, and by the analogy of faith, is manifestly to be rejected.
In the address of James to the apostles convened at Jerusalem, he gives it as his opinion
that they should write to the believing Gentiles that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and
fornication, and things strangled, and blood. (Acts xv. 20.) As the question related to the
ceremonial and not to the moral law, the celebrated critic Dr. Bentley conjectured that for
iropveias, fornication, we should read x oi P eias t swine's Jlesh ; and in this conjecture he has
been followed by Mr. Reeves in the Scholia to his beautiful and useful editions of the
Bible. But this reading is supported by no manuscript whatever, nor by any similarity
of the letters, nor by the context of the passage ; for in the encyclical letter of the Apos-
tles (ver. 25.) we read fornication. If xoipetas had been the correct lection in the first in-
stance, it would have been unquestionably retained in the second. And when it is
recollected that the word iropv&a, which in our version is rendered fornication, means not
only the crime against chastity usually so called, but also adultery and prostitution of every
kind (for which very many of the feasts of the idolatrous Gentiles were notorious), the
force of the apostolic prohibition will be evident ; and the genuineness of the commonly
received reading will be established in opposition to Bentley's arbitrary conjecture. l
No one should attempt this kind of emendation who is not most
deeply skilled in the sacred languages ; nor should critical conjec-
tures ever be admitted into the text, for we never can be certain, of
the truth of merely conjectural readings. Were these indeed to be
admitted into the text, the utmost confusion and uncertainty would
necessarily be created. The diligence and modesty of the Maso-
rites are in this respect worthy of our imitation : they invariably in-
serted their conjectures in the margin of their manuscripts, but most
religiously abstained from altering the text according to their hypo-
theses : and it is to be regretted that their example has not been
followed by some modern translators of the Old and New Testament
(and especially of the latter) ; who, in order to support doctrines
which have no foundation whatever in the sacred writings, have not
hesitated to obtrude their conjectures into the text. This is parti-
cularly the case with the Greek and English New Testament edited
by Dr. Mace in 1 729, whose bold and unhallowed emendations were
exposed by Dr. Twells, and also with the editors of the (Unitarian)
improved version of the New Testament, whose conjectures and
erroneous criticisms and interpretations have been most ably exposed
by the Rev, Drs. Nares and Laurence, the Quarterly and Eclectic
Reviewers, and other eminent critics.
V. Having thus stated the causes of various readings, and offered
a few cautions with regard to the sources whence the true lection is
to be determined, it only remains that we submit to the reader's at-
tention a few general rules, by which an accurate judgment may be
formed concerning various readings.
1. We must take care, that we dp not attempt to correct that which does
not require emendation. The earlier manuscript, cseteris paribus, is more
likely to be right than the later, because every subsequent copy is liable to
new errors*
1 Otber examples of unsupported conjectural emendations may be seen in Pritii Introd.
ad .Lectionem Novi Testament!, p. 393. -, Clerici Ars Critica, torn. ii. partiii. sect. i.
c. 16. II. ; and in Wetstein's Prolegom, ad Nov. Test, pp, 170. et seo/
Ch. V.] In the Old and New Testaments.
This rule will prevent us from being misled by an immoderate desire of correcting
what we may not understand, or what may at a first glance appear to be unsuitable to the
genius of the Hebrew or Greek language, or to the design of an author. Wherever,
therefore, any difficulty presents itself, it will be necessary previously to consider whether
it may not be obviated in some other manner, before we have recourse to emendation;
and even ingeniously to acknowledge our ignorance, rather than indulge a petulant licen-
tiousness of making corrections. Examples are not wanting of critics on the sacred
writings, who have violated this obvious rule, particularly Houbigant, In the notes to his
edition of the Hebrew Bible.
2. That reading in which all the recensions of the lest copies agree, and
which is supported by all the antient versions, is to be accounted genuine.
3. Readings are certainly right, and that in the very highest sense, at all
consistent with the existence of any various reading, which are supported by
several of the most antient manuscripts, or by the majority of them, by all
or most of the antient versions, by quotations, by parallel places (if 'there
be any), and by the sense; even though such readings should not be found
in the common printed editions, nor perhaps in any printed edition* 1
Thus, in the common printed editions of I Kings i, 20. we read, And tkou, my Lord,
King, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee> which is not sense. Instead of nnKl, And THOU,
we have Jrn, And NOW, in ninety-one of the manuscripts collated by Dr. Kennicott, in
the Chaldee paraphrase, and in the Arabic and Vulgate versions. This is the genuine
reading, and is required by the sense.
Again, in Matt. xxv. 29., we read, From him thai hath not shall be taken away even that
which he HATH," KM 'O EXEI ap&rjffeTai* This is found in all the antient copies, and In the
majority of manuscripts, and in all the versions but one. But in twenty-two other manu-
scripts, and in the Vulgate, as well as in some copies of the Syriac, Sclavonic, and Old
Italic versions, and six Fathers, we read 'O AOKEI EXEIN, that which he SEEMETH TO
HAVE. But it is wrong, and has been corrected from Luke viii- IS.
4. Greater is the authority of a reading, found in only a Jew manuscripts
of different characters) dates, and countries^ than in many manuscripts of a
similar complexion. But, of manuscripts of the same family or recension,
the reading of the greater number is of most weight. The evidence of ma-
nuscripts is to be weighed) not enumerated ; for the agreement of several
manuscripts is of no authority, unless their genealogy (if we may oe allowed
the term) is known; becaitse it is possible that a hundred Manuscripts that
now agree together may have descended from one and the same source*
5. Readings are certainly right, which are supported by a few antienf
manuscripts, in conjunction with the antient versions, quotations, parallel
places (if any), and the sense / though they should not be found in most
manuscript or printed editions, especially when the rejection of them in the
latter can be easily accounted for.
The common reading of Psalm xxviii. 8. is, The LORD is their strength 1QV (LOMO) ;
but there is no antecedent. In six manuscripts and all the versions, however, we read,
1Q2 1 ? (WAMMO) of his people, which completes the sense. This emendation is pronounced
by Bp* Horsley, to be "unquestionable:" he has therefore incorporated itinjbe text of
his New Version of the Psalms, and has translated the sentence thus :
Jehovah is the strength of his people.
In most manuscripts and printed editions of Eph. v. 9. we read, Thefrutt of the SPIRIT
frou -rrvsvLutros^, is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth. But it is the fruit of ike
LIGHT (rov <buro$) in the Codices Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, and Claromontanus, Augi-
ensis, San-germanensis, and Boernerianus, and six others of less note, as well as in the
Syriac version, the Arabic version, edited by Erpenius, the Coptic, Sahidic, Ethioptc,
Armenian, Old Italic, and Vulgate versions ; and it is so quoted by seven of the fathers.
*wros. liakt, is therefore considered by most critics as the true reading, because the bpirit
is not mentioned in any part of the context; and this reading is inserted in the text as
genuine by Griesbach. The connection, indeed, shows that this last is the true reading,
which was altered by some unknown copyist or critic, because it was uncommon, from.
Gal. v. 22, As light (Eph. v. 8.) not only means the divine influence upon the soul, but
l Gerard's Institutes, pp. 206268;
o 3
] 98 On the Varimts Readings [Part I.
also the Gospel, the apostle Paul might with admirable propriety say, that the fruit of the
fight (that is, of the Gospel) is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth: goodness,
ayafraxrvvy, in the principle and disposition ; righteousness, Succuoffwi}, the exercise of
that goodness in the whole conduct oflife ; and truth, aArj&eia, the director of that prin-
ciple and of its exercise to the glory of God and the good of mankind.
6. Of two readings, both of. which are supported by manuscripts, the lest
is to be preferred; but if both of them exhibit good senses, then that reading
which gives the best sense is to be adopted. But, in order to determine the
nature of the whole passage, the genius of the inriter, and not the mere opi-
nions and sentiments of particular interpreters, are to be consulted*
In Psalm ii. 6- there are two readings, one of which is found in the Masoretic copies
and the other in the Septuagint version. The former may be literally translated thus : Yet
will I anoint my King upon my holy hill of Sion. This reading is supported by weighty
evidence, viz. the Masora, the quotation of it in Actsiv. 27., the Greek versions of Aquila
and Symmachus, the Chaldee paraphrase, and Jerome. The other reading, which is found
in the Septuagint, may be thus rendered : But asfor me, by him 1 am appointed king on Sion,
his holy mountain. Now here the authoiity for the two readings is nearly equal : but if we
examine their goodness, we shall see that the Masoretic lection is to be preferred, as beino-
more grammatically correct, and more suited to the contest. * &
7. A good various reading, though supported only by one or two witnesses
of 'approved character > is to be preferred*
8. In the prophetical and poetical books of the Old Testament, as ivell as
in the New Testament, that reading is best which accords with the poetical
parallelism*
The subject of poetical parallelism is fully considered in Part II. Book II. Chap. II.
infra. The application of this canon to the various readings of the Old Testament has
long been recognised ; but as its applicability to the New Testament is not so obvious, we
shall illustrate it by an example drawn from the latter.
Thus in Matt. v'ii. 2. we read,
EP 6 yap ic/werc
Kcu ev w nerpetre, cufTLperpri&'ritreTcu v]j.tv,
For, with TI hat judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged ;
And with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
For mmiAvrfnfrnffmt, shall be measured again, (which is the reading of the common
printed editions, of the manuscript by Matthai noted with the letter H, of the manuscript
13 of Griesbach's notation, of the Vulgate version, of some manuscripts of the Old Italic
version, of Polycarp, of Clement of Alexandria, of Origen sometimes, and of the Latin
Fathers), we read iierprfrjiffenu, shall be measured, in the Codices Vaticanus. Harleianus
No. 5684, Cyprius, Stephani 77, Regius 82433 (now 48), and Vaticanus *S54, all of which
are manuscripts in uncial diameters of great antiquity, in twelve manuscripts in smaller
characters, by Griesbach, numbered 1, 17, 33, 77, 108, 114, 117, 131, 218, 236 of Pro-
fessor Birch s Collation, the Evangelisteria, numbered 32 and 36, and seventy other
manuscripts of inferior note, and by the manuscripts distinguished by Mattha?i with the
Letters B and V (both of the eighth century), a. c. and d. (all of the tenth or eleventh
century), and by eight others of Matthan's manuscripts of less note, by the Armenian and
Ethiopic versions, by the copies of the Old Italic version preserved at Verona Vereelli Forli
and Toledo, by Clement of Rome, by Origen once, by the author of the dialogue acainst
Mannon, by Theodoret, Theophylact, Euthymius, Chrysocephalus, and other Greet
^riters. The reading of ^^trercu therefore, being supported by such an overwhelm-
ing body of evidence, is very properly introduced into the text by Griesbach as preferable
to the common reading of ampcrp^omc; and it is further demanded by the parallelism
For/war. (judgment), jr/wer* (ye judge], and Kp&w&t & shall be judged), in the"
first line, require in order to preserve the balance of the period, furp* (measuw) ^rpure
fee measure}, and per/mdiprcrai (tf shall be measured}, in the second line, i
9. Of tow readings of equal or marly equal authority, that is to be me-
ferred, tvhich is most agreeable to the style of the sacred writer.
. . Tf ' ^{^ e of two readings in the New Testament exhibits the Hebrew idiom
it preferable to one that is good Greek, because the latter has the appearance ^S
* ne Greek writer, which the former does not present. Thus in Judelf
\ Bp " J 6 *'" S * cred Liter , ature > P- 144. In pp. 20G. 329-331. of the same work the
Teader will find other instructive examples of the cnnon 'above gtfen.
Ch. V.] In the Old and New Testaments, 199
, sanctified, is a better lection than TjyaTr^uerots, beloved / because the former is
more in unison with the usage of the apostles in their salutations, and in the commence-
ment of their Epistles, In Acts xvii. 26. the reading, IPOS Gu'/iaros, of one llood t is
preferable to e evos, of one (which occurs in Rom. is. 10.), because it is in unison with
the Hebrew style of writing. In John vi. 69. the common reading, Thou art the Christ,
the SQJI of the living God, Xpiros & vlos rov eou rov r (avros, is preferable to that of the
holy one of God, & aytos rov 0eou, which Griesbach has admitted into the text, omitting
TOU favros, on the authority of the Codices Vaticanus, Ephremi, Cantabrigien&is, Stephani q,
the Coptic version, and some other authorities of less note. That eminent critic, in-
deed, allows that the received lection is not to be despised ; but we may observe that its
genuineness is not only confirmed by the consentient testimonies of many MSS., versions,
and fathers, but also from the fact and from the style of writing adopted by the Evange-
lists. For the appellation of holy one of God is no where applied to our Saviour, except
in the confession of the demoniac, (Mark i, 24. Luke iv. 54.) In Acts iv. 27. 30. Jesus
is termed 017x05 iraiSj holy child ; but not koly one of God. On the contrary, the appel*.
lation of Christ, the Son of God, occurs repeatedly in the New Testament, and especially
in this Gospel of John (i. 50. ; 49. of English version, and si. 27.), and is elsewhere ex-
pressly applied to him by Peter, See Matt, xvi, 16. The common reading, therefore, of
John vi. 69. is to be preferred, in opposition to that adopted by Griesbach, as being most
agreeable to the style of the sacred writer.
1 0. That reading is to be preferred which is most agreeable to the context,
and to the author's design in writing.
Every writer, and much more a divinely inspired writer, ii presumed to xvrite in such
a manner, as not to contradict himself either knowingly or willingly, and to write through-
out with a due regard to the order and connection of things, Now in Mark i. 2., for tit
TOIS irpotyqnusj in the prophets, several manuscripts read ei> H<raiK T&> vpo^ifnf, in the pro-
phet Isaiah, Both Mill and Griesbach reject the common reading. But as the context
shows that the Evangelist cited not one but two prophets, viz. Mai. iii. I., and Isa. xl. 3.,
the common reading ought to be retained, especially as it is supported by the Codex
AlexandrimiSj the Ethiopia and Coptic versions, and the quotations of many fathers.
11. A reading, whose source is clearly proved to be erroneous, must be
rejected.
12. Of two readings, neither of which is unsuitable to the sense, either
of which may have naturally arisen from the other, and both of which are
supported by manuscripts, versions, and quotations in the writings of the
fathers ; the one will be more probable than the other> in proportion to the
preponderance of the evidence that sitpports it ,* and that preponderance
admits a great variety of degrees. 1
In Acts xx. 28. we read, Feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own
blood. Of this sentence there are not fewer than six various readings, viz. 1. TV
iiattoiffutvrov Xpts-ou, the church of Christ ; 2. Tow ou, of God, which lection is expunged
by Griesbach, who prefers, 3. Tou Kupiov, of the Lord. This reading is also preferred by
Wetstoin ; 4.' Tou \\vptov /cat ecu, of the Lord and God, which Griesbach has inserted in
his inner margin j 5. Tou 0eou KOI Kvpiov, of the God and Lords and 6. Tou \\vpiov Gcou,
of the Lord God,- in order to determine which of these readings is to be adopted, it is
necessary briefly to review the various authorities which have been adduced for each.
I Tou Xpts-ov Of Christ. This reading is supported by no Greek MSS. ; but it is
found in the printed editions of the Peschito or old Syriac version, even in the Vatican
copies of the Nestorians. This reading is also found in the Arabic version edited by
Erpenius (which was made from the Syriac), and it seems to be supported by Qngen
(probably, for the passage is ambiguous), by Athonasius, the anonymous author of rtia
first dialoo-ue against the Macedonians, Theodoret, the interpolated Epistle of Ignatius,
Basil and Ful<rentius. The popish synod of the Malabar Christians, held in 1599, under
the direction of Mendozo, the Portuguese archbishop of Goa, states that the Nestorians
inserted this reading at the instigation of the devil, insligante dialolo /
Q Toy @eou Of God. This is the common reading. It is supported by that most
andent and venerable MS., B, or the Codex Vaticanus*, and by seventeen others, none
i Gerard's Institutes, p. 275. . . ... e .
a From Professor Birch (of Copenhagen} finding nothing noted in his collation of the
-Vatican MS. respecting the reading of 8e QU , (though he expressly says, that rf any variety
of reading ha<l taken place in that MS. it could not have escaped him, as he intended tc
examine this remarkable 'place <*bo\e all o'hwa in all the MSS, that came m Ins way,
O -1'
#00 On the Various Readings [Part I.
of which indeed are older than the eleventh century, and many of them are more modem.
It is also supported by two MSS, of the Peschito or Old Syriac version, collated by
Professor Lee for bis edition of the Syriac New Testament ; and which, he states, are
much more antient than those upon which the printed text was formed. This reading is-
also found in- a very antient Syriac MS. in the Vatican Library, in the Latin Vulgate, the
Ethiopic, according to Dr. Mill, through Griesbach thinks it doubtful ; and it is quoted
or referred to by Ignatius, Tertullian, Athanasius, Basil, Epiphanius, Ambrose, Chry-
sostom, Celestine bishop of Rome, Oecumenius, Theophylact, and eleven other fathers
of the Greek and Latin Church, besides the sixth Synod in Trullo (held A. B. 680), and
the second Nicene Synod (held A, i>. 787).
3. TovKvptav Of the Lord. This reading is supported by thirteen manuscripts, viz,
the Codices Alexandrinus, Cantabrigiensis, Ephremi, and Laudianus, (all of which are
written in uncial letters, of great and iadisputed antiquity, and derived from different and
independent sources), the Moscow MS. which formerly belonged to Chrysostom, accord-
ing to Matthai (on Eph. iv. 9.), who has noted it with the letter B., and eight others of
less note. This reading i& also found in the Coptic, Sahidic, in the margin of the
Philoxenian or later Syriac, in the Old Italic as contained in the Codex Cantabrigiensis,
and as edited by Sabatier, and in the Armenian versions. The Ethiopic version has-
likewise been cited, as exhibiting the reading of Kvpiov, Lord, but its evidence is indecisive,
the same word being used therein for both Lord and God. Griesbach thinks it probable
that this version reads Kvptou, from the consentient testimony of the Coptic and Armenians
versions. Among the fathers, this reading is supported by Eusebius, Athanasius, Chry-
sostom, Ammonius, Ma%imus, Antonius, Ibas, Lucifer, Jerome, Augustine, Sedulius,
Alcimus, the author of the pretended Apostolical Constitutions, and the second Council
of Carthage (which, however, in the Greek, reads 0eov, of God). l
4. Too Kv/wov KCU eow Of the Lord and God. This reading is supported anly by
the Codex G. (Passionei, assigned by Blanchini to the eighth, but by Montfaucon to
the ninth century,} and sixty-three other MSS, ; none of which, though they form the-
majority in point of number, are among the most correct and authoritative. It is also*
found in the Sclavonic version, but it is not cited by one of the fathers j and is printed inj
the Cemplutensian and Plantin editions,
5. Tov GHeov KM Kvptov Of the God and Lord. This reading occurs only in the MS.
by Griesbach numbered 47 : it is an apograph transcribed in the sixteenth century by
John Faber of Deventer from one written in 1 293.
6. Ton Kupiou eou Of the Lord God. This reading is found only in one MS,
(95 of Griesbach's notation) of the fifteenth century, and the incorrect Arabic version*
printed in the Paris and London Polyglattsj and it is cited by Theophylact alone,,
among the fathers.
Of these six readings, No. 2. Tov eou, Of God, No, 3. Tov Kvpiov, Of the Lord, and
No. 4. Tou Kvptov KCU eov, Of the Lord and God, are best supported by external testi-
mony, and it is the preponderance of the evidence adduced for each, that must determine
which of them is the genuine reading.
JU The testimony of manuscripts is pretty equally divided between, these three readings.
Though Kupwu is supported by the greater number of uncial MSS. (viz. the Codices
Alexandrinus, Cantabrlgiensis, Ephremi, and Laudianus,) yet eou is supported by the
Codes Vaiicanus, which is of the highest authority j, and KU/HOU KCU 0eou, though deficient
in this respect (for G. or the Codex Passionei, as we have noticed^ is not earlier than the
eighth or ninth century), yet it is most numerously supported by manuscripts of different
families, and especially by the Moscow manuscripts, and by the Complutensiara edition.
2. The antient versions, supporting ou and Ku/uow, are equal to each other in num-
ber indeed, but those which support the former are superior in weight. For the Latin
Vulgate, the Peschito or old Syriac, and the Ethiopic, in favour of eow, are of higher
authority than their competitors, the Coptic, Sahidic, and Armenian. The compound
reading Kvpiov tcai Qeov is unsupported by any but the Sclavonic ;, which is closely con-
nected ivith the Moscow manuscripts.
Griesbach endeavours to set aside the testimony furnished by the Vatican MS. But it
is a FACT that 0au is the reading of that manuscript: for (1.) it WAS there in '1738,,
when it was collated by the very learned Thomas Wagstaffe, then at Rome, for Dr.
Becrirnan, who was at that time engaged in preparing for publication his work on the
genuineness of I Tim iii. 16, ; and (2.) eou IS the reading of the Vatican MS., for a
transcrijrt of it tuns obtained by Mr, Jt. Taylor from the keeper of the Vatican library for
the second London edition of Griesbach's Greek Testament, printed by him in 1818, with
equal beauty and accuracy.
1 Irenaeus is commonly cited as an authority for the reading TOV Kvpufu ; but Mr.
Btarttm has shown that much tjse cannot be made of his authority in deciding this reading.
(Testimonies of Aate-Nicene Fathers, p. 17.)
Ch. V.] In the Old, and, New Testaments. 201
3. The testimony of the fathers is greatly in favour of eou. For though a considerable
number of counter- testimonies in favour of Kupiou is named by Wetstein, and copied by
Griesbach ; yet no citations from thence are adduced by either, which leads us to suspect,
that their testimony is either spurious, slight, or else refuted by the express citations on
the other side. Thus, the objection of Athanasius to the phrase, " the blood of God," as
" being no where used in Scripture, and to be reckoned among the daring fabrications of
the Arians," recorded by Wetstein 1 * is abundantly refuted by his own counter- testimony,
citing the received reading of Acts xx. 28. and by the frequent use of the phrase by the
orthodox fathers, Ignatius, Tertullian, Leontius, Fulgentius, Bede, Theophylact, and others
above enumerated. The objection, therefore, was urged inconsiderately, and probably in
the warmth of controversy ; in which Athanasius was perpetually engaged with the Arians,
his incessant persecutors.
Kuptou KO.L 0eov, is unsupported by the fathers before Theophylact j and is contradicted
by his testimony in favour of eov.
From this abstract, it appears to the writer of these pages, that the External evidence
preponderates, upon the whole, in favour of eov ; and this is further confirmed by the
internal evidence. For, in the first place, the expression cKKXiprus rov ecu, church of
God, is in unison with the style of St. Paul 2 ; and it occurs in not fewer than eleven
passages of his epistles 3 ; while the phrase KK\Tjffia rov "Kvpiov, church of the Lord, occurs
910 where in the New Testament. And, secondly, 0w might -easily give occasion to the
other readings, though none of these could so easily give occasion to &eav. If (as Michae-
lis remarks) the Evangelist Luke wrote eou, the origin of Kupiou and Xpts-ov may be
explained either as corrections of the text or as marginal notes ; because " the blood of
God" is a very extraordinary expression ; but if he had written KU/MOU, it is inconceivable
how any one should alter it into Beov. And on this latter supposition, the great number
of various readings is inexplicable. It seems as if different transcribers had found a dif-
ficulty in the passage, and that each corrected according to his own judgment.
Upon the whole, then, the received reading, e;cKA.Tjcria TOU eov, church of God, is BET-
TER, supported than any of the other readings, and, consequently, we may conclude that it
was the identical expression uttered by Paul, and recorded by Luke.
13. Whenever tvoo different readings occur > one of which seems difficult,
and obscure, but which may be explained by the help of antiquity, and a
more accurate knowledge of the language^ whereas the other is so easi/ asio
be obvious to the meanest capacity, the Latter reading is to be suspected;
because the former is more in unison with the style of the sacred writers,
which, abounding with Hebraisms, is repugnant to the genius of the pure
or strictly classical Greek language.
No transcriber would designedly change a clear into an obscure reading, nor is it
possible tliat an inadvertency should make so happy a mistake as to produce a reading
that perplexes indeed the ignorant, but is understood and approved by the learned.
This canon is the touchstone which distinguishes the true critics from the false* Bengel,
"Wetstein, and Griesbach, critics of the first rank, have admitted its authority ; but those
i Nov. test. vol. i. p. 597. Q See canon 9. pp. 198,199. supra,
3 Compare 1 Cor. i: 2, x. 32. xi, 16. 22. xv.9. 2 Cor. i* 1. Gal. i. 13. 1 Thess. ii,
14. 2 Thess. i. 4. and 1 Tim. iii. 5. 15. The phrase cKxtajctta TOU Kupiow, congregation of
the Lord, is of frequent occurrence in the Septuagint version, whence it might have crept
into the text of the MSS. that support it, particularly of the Codes Alexandrmus, which
was written in Egypt, where the Septuagint version was made.
4 Nov. Test, a Griesbach, tom.ii. pp. 112 117. and Appendix, p. (34.) 2d edit.
(Halsc Saxonum, 3806.) Dr. Hales, on. Faith in the Trinity, vol. ii. pp. 105 131.
Michaelis's Introduction to the New Testament, vol. i. p. 335. Nolan's Inquiry into
the Integrity of the Greek Vulgate, pp. 286^289. 516 5 J 8. Mr. N. has given of
length the quotations from the writings of the fathers in which Beou is found* It is
worthy of remark, that Mr. Wakefield, who was a professed and conscientious Unitarian,
decides in favour of rov 0eov, of God, as the genuine reading : but instead of rendering
the words rov ititov atftaros, in the following sentence, " with his own blood" he translates
them by "his own tion ;" and he adduces some passages from Greek and Roman writers,
to show that aipa, and sdnguis (blood) are used to signify a sow or near relative. If, in-
deed, Acts xx. 27. were the only passage, where the phrase " purchasing with Ms oum
Uood" occurred, we might receive this saying : but as the redemption of man is, through-
out the New Testament, ascribed exclusively to the vicarious and sacrificial death of
Christ, it is not likely that this very unu&tal meaning should apply here. (Dr. A.
Clarke, in loc.)
On the Various Headings [Part I.
of inferior order generally prefer the easy reading, for no other reason than because its
meaning is most obvious.
14. If for a passage, that is not absolutely necessary to the construction ,
various readings are found, that differ materi ally ( /row each other, tvehave
reason to suspect its authenticity ; and likewise that all the readings are
interpolations of transcribers tvko have attempted by different methods to
supply the seeming deficiency of the original.
This rule, however, must not be carried to the extreme, nor is a single variation sufficient
to justify our suspicion of a word or phrase, though its omission affects not the sense, or
even though the construction would be improved by its absence : for, in a book that has
been so frequently transcribed as the New Testament, mistakes were unavoidable, and
therefore a single deviation alone can lead us to no immediate conclusion.
15. A reading is to be rejected, in respect to which plain evidence is
found that it has undergone a DESIGNED alteration.
Such alteration may have taken place (1.) From doctrinal reasons ; (2.) From moral
and practical reasons; (3.) From historical and geographical doubts, (Matt, viii. 28.
compared with Mark v. l.)j (4.) From the desire of reconciling passages contradictory
with each other ; (.5.) From the desire of making the discourse more intensive ; hence
many emphatic readings have originated ; (6. ) From the comparison of many manu-
scripts, the readings of which have been amalgamated j (7.) From a comparison of
parallel passages. l
16. Readings, which are evidently glosses, or interpolations, are inva-
riably to be rejected.
(1.) Glosses are betrayed, 1, When the words do not agree with the scope and context
qf the passage ; 2, When they are evidently foreign to the style of the sacred writer ;
3, When there is evident tautology ; 4. When words, which are best absent, are most
unaccountably introduced ; 5. When certain words are more correctly disposed in a dif-
ferent place ; and, lastly, when phrases are joined together, the latter of which is much
clearer than the former.
(2, " An interpolation is sometimes betrayed by the circumstance of its being delivered
in the language of a later church. In the time of the Apostles the word Christ was never
used as the proper nnrne of a person, but as an epithet expressive of the ministry of Jesus,
and was frequently applied as synonymous to * Son of God.' The expression, there-
fore, * Christ is the Son of God,' Acts viii. 37. is a kind of tautology, and is almost as
absurd as to say Christ is the Messiah, that is, the anointed is the anointed. But the word
being used in later ages as a proper name, this impropriety was not perceived by the person
who obtruded the passage on the text."
(3.) ** If one or more words that may be considered as an addition to a passage, are
found only in manuscripts, but in none of the most antient versions, nor in the quotations of
the early fathers, we have reason to suspect an interpolation." In Acts viii. 39. the Alex-
andrian manuscript reads thus : nNA[ATIONEnE2ENEniTONETNOTXONANrEAO2 AE]
KTHPnA2ENTON*JAinnON The i^tf7 [holy Jell upon the eunuch, but the dnget] of the Lord
caught ttwty Philip* The words between brackets, Michaelis thinks, are spurious; and Gries-
bach decidedly pronounces them to be an emendation of the copyist. They are found in six
manuscripts cited by him, but these are not antient ,- and they are also in the Armenian
version executed in the end of the fourth, or early in the fifth century, and in the Sclavonic
version executed in the ninth century. We are justified, therefore, in stating that they are
not to be received into the sacred text.
17- Expressions that are less emphatic, unless the scope and context of the
sacred writer require emphasis, are more likely to be the genuine reading,
than readings different from them, but which have, or seem to have, greater
force or emphasis. For copyists, like commentators^uho have but a smattering
of learning, are mightily pleased tuith emphases.
18. That reading is to be preferred, 'which gives a sense apparently false,
but which, on thorough investigation, proves to be the true one.
19. Various readings, which have most clearly been occasioned by the
$rr$r$ or negligence of transcribers, are to be rejected. How such readings
mjf be caused^ has already been shown in pp. 177 ISO. supra.
1 Stuart's Elements of In lerpr, p. 113.
Cb. V.] - In the Old and New Testaments. 203
20. Leclionaries, or Lesson Books , used in the early Christian church, are
not admissible as evidence for various readings.
Whenever, therefore, Irjffovs, Jesus, a8eA<J>o:, brethren) or similar words, (which were
antiently prefixed to the lessons accordingly as the latter were taken from the Gospels or
Epistles, and which are found only in lectionaries,) are found at the beginning of a lesson,
they are to be considered as suspicious ; and fifty manuscripts that contain them have no
weight against the same number which omit them,
21. Readings introduced into the Greek text from Latin versions are to
be rejected.
22. A reading that is contradictory to history and geography is'to be
rejected, especially when it is not conjirmed by manuscripts.
In Acts xii, 25. we read that Barnabas and Saul returned FROM (e) Jerusalem, where
seven manuscripts, two manuscripts (5 and 7) of the Sclavonic version, and the Arabic
version in Bishop Walton's Polyglott, have ety, TO Jerusalem. This last reading has been
added by some ignorant copyist, for Barnabas and Saul were returning from Jerusalem to
Antiocb with the money which they had collected for the poor brethren.
23. That reading which makes a passage more connected is preferable,
all due allowance being made for abruptness in the particular case. Saint
Paul is remarkable for the abruptness of many of his digressions.
24-. Readings, certainly genuine, ought to be restored to the text of the
printed editions, though hitherto admitted into none of them; thai they
may henceforth be rendered as correct as possible they ought likewise to be
adopted in all versions of Scripture: and till Ms be done? they ought to be
followed in explaining it.
25. Probable readings may have so high a degree of evidence, as justly
entitles them to be inserted into the text, in place of the received readings
which are much less probable* Such as have not considerably higher pro-
bability than the common readings, should only^ be put into the margin ; but
they, and all others, ought to be weighed with impartiality.
26. Readings certainly, or very probably false, ought to be expungedfrom
the editions of the Scriptures, and ought not to be followed in versions of
them, however long and generally they have usurped a place there,
manifest corruptions, which impair the purity of the sacred books.
' The preceding are the most material canons for determining various
readings, which are recommended by the united wisdom of the most
eminent biblical critics. They have been drawn up chiefly from
Dr. Kennicott's Dissertations on the Hebrew text, De Rossi's Com-
pendio di Critica Sacra, and the canons of the same learned author,,
in his Prolegomena so often cited in the preceding pages, and from
the canons of Bauer in his Critica Sacra, of Ernesti, of Pfaff, Pritius,
Wetstein, Griesbach, Beck, Muntinghe, and, above all 3 of Michaelis,
with Bishop Marsh's annotations, often more valuable than the ela-
borate work of his author.
204 [Part I. Ch.
CHAPTER VI.
ON THE QUOTATIONS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT IN THE NEW
QUOTATIONS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT FROM TPIE APOCRYPHAL
WKITEKS, AND FROM PROFANE AUTHORS.
IT is obvious, even on the most cursory perusal of the Holy Scrip-
tures, that some passages are cited in other subsequent passages ; and,
in particular, that numerous quotations from the Old Testament are
made in the New, In these references, there is frequently an ap-
parent contradiction or difference between the original and the
quotation ; of which, as in the contradictions alleged to exist in the
Scriptures, (which are considered and solved in" the second part of
this volume,) infidelity and scepticism have sedulously availed them-
selves. These seeming discrepancies, however, when brought to the
touchstone of criticism, instantly disappear; and thus the entire har-
mony of the Bible becomes fully evident. The appearance of con-
tradiction, in the quotations from the Old Testament that are found
in the New, is to be considered in two points of view, namely, 1. As
to the external form, or the words in which the quotation is made ;
and, 2. As to the internal form, or the manner or purpose to which
it is applied by the sacred writers.
A considerable difference of opinion exists among some learned
men, whether the Evangelists and other writers of the New Testament
quoted the Old Testament from the Hebrew, or from the venerable
Greek version, usually called the Septuagint. Others, however, are
of opinion, that they did not confine themselves exclusively to either ;
and this appears most probable. The only way by which to deter-
mine this important question, is to compare and arrange the texts
actually quoted. Drusius, Junius, Glassius, Cappel, Hoffman, Eich-
horn, Michaelis, and many other eminent biblical critics on the
Continent, have ably illustrated this topic; in our own country, in-
deed, it has been but little discussed. The only writers on this
subject, known to the author, are the Rev. Dr. Randolph, formerly
Regius Professor of Divinity in the University of Oxford, the Rev.
Dr. Henry Owen, and the Rev. Thomas Scott (the titles of whose
publications will be found in pp. ] 45, 1 46. of the Appendix to this vo-
lume) ; but they have treated it with so much ability and accuracy,
that he has to acknowledge himself indebted to their labours for oreat
part of his materials for the present chapter. 3 &
i Besides the publications of the writers above mentioned, the author has constantly
availed himself of the researches of Drusius (Parallela Sacra), in the 8th volume of the
Critici Sacn; of Oappel*s Critica Sacra, lib. ii. (in vol. i. pp. 136' 172. of Prof Vo-
gel's edition); of Glassius's Philologia Sacra, partii. pp. 1387. et seq. fed Datbii) -
aitd of Michaehs's Introduction to the New Testament, translated by Bishop Marsh
(yoU. pp. 200-246. 470-493.). Dr. Gerard's Institutes of Biblical Criticism have
also**** occasionally referred to, as well as Schlegelius's Disseriatio De Agro sanffuinis
et Bt^betia circa eura allegata, in the Thesaurus Dissertationum Exegeticamm nd Nor.
Test, torn. u. pp. 309340,
VI. Sect. LSI.] Tables of Quotations from the Old Testament^ fa 205
SECTION I.
ON THE EXTERNAL FORM OF THE" QUOTATIONS FROM THE
TESTAMENT IN THE NEW. ^^si.
1. TABLES OF THE QUOTATIONS FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES AND
FROM THE SEPTUAGINT GREEK VERSION, IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY
OCCUR IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 1
I. Isa. vii. 14.
p mbn rnrr nn^n n:rr
nvrrt
But thou, Bethlehem E-
phratah, tfzowg/z thou be little
among the thousands of Ju-
dah, yet out of thee shall he
come forth unto me, that is to
be ruler of Israel.
3. Hos. xi. 1.
i ']tf vwnp tanseoi
I called my son out of
Egypt.
Isa. vii. 14.
I8ou T} irapQevos *v ycurrpt
ATjiJ/erai, Kaire^erai vlov, KCU
Ka\<reis ro oyo/jia, avrov E/u-
Behold, a virgin shall con-
ceive, and bear a son, and shall
call his name Immanuel.
2. Hi cab v. 2.
vss rrmB Qro-rrci nrwi
Behold the virgin shall con-
ceive and bear a son, and thou
shalt call his name Emmanuel.
Micah v. 2.
Kcw crv B70Aee/A OIKOS
6a t oXiyofffos et TQV ewcti ev
Iou5o j e/e ffov pot ee-
, rov sivai ets apxovra
But, as for thee, Bethlehem,
thou house of Ephratha, art
thou the least [or, too little],
to become one of the thousands
of Judah ? Out of thee shall
one come forth to me, to be
the ruler of Israel.
Hos. xi. 1.
E| Aiyimrov /xere/caXetra ra
Tcwa avrou.
I called his children out of
Egypt.
Matt i. 23.
iSou 7i TTctpQevos et> ywrrpt
&> Kctt re^erat vlov, KM oAe-
tTOVffl TO QVQfML CWTOV E/t/iff-
Behold, a virgin shall be
with child, and shall bring
forth a son; and they shall
call his name Emmanuel.
Matt. iL 6.
Kcti <ry Et}e\efjL, 77? lowSa,
\axi(TTir) et ev rois
Iou5o- K tfov yap
|eAeu<reTaz Tjyav^evoSf dffris
rov XOQV pov roy
And thou, Bethlehem in
the land of Judah, art not the
least among the princes of
Judah : for out of thee shall
come a governor that shall rule
my people Israel.
Matt, ii, 15.
E| AiyvwTou eaAra TOP
VLOV (JLOV.
Out of Egypt have I called
my son.
1 In the first edition of this work, the author had simply given the references to these
quotations. They are now inserted at length, in order to save the student's time, and also
to enable him more readily to compare the Hebrew and Greek together; and the English ver-
sion of the passages is annexed for the convenience of the mere English reader. The test of
the Septuagint is that termed the Vatican ; and where there are any material variations in the
Alexandrine text, they are briefly noticed. The English version of the Septuagint is given
from Mr. Thomson's Anglo-American translation (with the exception of two or three passages
that have been altered to make them more literal), entitled " The Holy Bible, containing
the Old and New Covenant, commonly called the Old and New Testament, translated from
the Greek. Philadelphia, 1 80S.'* In four volumes, 8 vo.
9 This quotation agrees exactly neither with the Hebrew nor with the Septuagint. The
only material difference is that the evangelist adds the negative ouSa/iws* which is in neither of
them. But the Syriac translation reads it with an interrogation, A r wi_pan* es? Art thou
little ? And so Archbishop Newcome has rendered it :
And thou, Bethlehem Ephrata,
Art thou too little to be among the leaders of Judah ?
Out of thee shall come forth unto me
One who is to be a ruler in Israel.
The question, he observes, implies the negative, which Is inserted in Matt. ii. 6. and also in
the Arabic version. Both the Hebrew and the Greek, as they now stand, are capable of be-
ing pointed interrogatively. And it is worthy of remark, that the Codex Cantabrigiensis
reads fw, not, interrogatively, instead of ovSa/iw, in which it is followed by the Old Italic
version, and by Tejtwllian, Cyprian, and other Latin fathers.
206
Tables of Quotations from
[Part I. On
Jer. xxxi. 15.
*3i TT: r^-e: rrtra Vip
Jer. xxxi. 1
A voice was heard in Ra-
mah, lamentation, an/2 bitter
weeping; Rachel weeping for
her children, refused to be
comforted for her children, be-
cause they were not.
poy, Kfli K\avOfjLOV t Ktu
'P&xn^ etTroK\atofJLejnf] OVK
iravaatffBat eiri TOIS viois aimrjs,
Art OVK turiv.
There was heard at Rama,
a sound of lamentation, and
weeping and wailing: Rachel,
ueeping for her children, re-
fused to be comforted, because
they are not.
Matt, ii. 18.
&wri ev 'Papa yKOVffdi],
vos KO.I K\av&iJ.os, KOLI o$vpfj.o$
iro\vs, 'Pax^A- K\aiovffa, TO,
TSKJ/CS avlijSy KCU OVK rj0e\e
trapaKhrid'rjvat, fin ouic curt. *
In Rama was there a voice
heard, lamentation, and weep-
ing, and great mourning, Ra-
chel weeping /m- her children,
and would not be comforted,
because they are not.
5, Psal. xxii. 6. Ixix. 9, 10.
Isa. Hi. liii. Zech. xi. 12,
13.
Matt. ii. 23.
irAijpoidii TO faQw 5ia
6ri Na^upaios
That it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by the pro-
phets, He shall be called a
Nazarene.
6.
Isa, xl, 3-5.
a. xl. 3-5.
6eou
nin 1 * 1133
11 mrp ^D ^ nn
Matt. iii. S. Marki. 3.
Luke iii. 4-G.
Sotavros ev rf) ep?)juw ^tavy fiocwros ev rtj e/wjjitw
TTJ? ffiov Kupiov, 'ETOtjLiatrare TT\V o$ov Kvpiov,
iienre ras TptSavs rov eu$reias Troieire ras rpiovs
ricto"o dxzpcfy^ TrA.77- CCUTOI/. Hcco'cc <bctpctfy TTATJPW-
Kai 'Cray opof /cat Oijtrercu, KOI -araz/ opos KOI ^ou-
jSouvos Tcrij'fc}0/7er6Tcu* waf eff- vos Tctirwa>57j<7Tat /cat ea"T{
TCI 'jrai'Ta ra ff/co\ta eis ei'fiemi', TO (TKoKia ei$ cvQeLav, KCU at
Kai 7} Tpax^o fw TTgSto. 3 Kat Tpa^ 610 * ets ^Soi;s \eias. Kat
o$Qi}0~ra.L TJ doa Kvptov, KCU otyerai iratra o"ap| TO aumipiov
o^'eTai iracra (rap| TO GWTt]piQv rov Beov. 4
rou 0eou.
The voice of him that crieth A voice of one crying in the The voice of one crying in
in the wilderness, Prepare ye wilderness, Prepare the way the wilderness, Prepare ye the
/ 1^ e quotation in Matthew agrees very nearly with the Hebrew, but not with the Septua-
gint. Dr. Randolph thinks it might possibly be taken from some other translation, f On
the Quotations, p, 5J7.)
* As tike evangelist cites the Prophets in the plural number, it is highly probable that this
passage is not a quotation from any particular prophet, but a citation denoting the humble
and despised condition, of the Messiah, as described by the prophets in genera], and especially
by the prophet Isaiah. (See Dr. Hunt's sermon on Matt ii. 23., at the end of his " Ob-
servations on several Passages in the Book of Proverbs, 1 ' pp. 1 7O 1 93.) Though the words, '
he^shnS le catted a Nazarene, are not to be found in the writings of the prophets, yet as the
thiagintended by them is of frequent occurrence, the application is made with sufficient propriety.
The Israelites despised the Galileans in general, but especially the Nazarenes ; who were so
contemptible as to be subjects of ridicule even to the Galileans themselves. Hence, N a za-
rene was a term of reproach proverbially given to any despicable worthless person whatever.
Wherefore since the prophets (particularly those above referred to) have, in many parts of
their writings, foretold that the Messiah should be rejected, despised, and traduced they have
"/faWtJ predicted that he should be called a Navuretie. And the Evangelist justly reckons
Christ s dwelling in Nazareth, among other things, a completion of these predictions - because
in the course of his public life, the circumstance of his having been educated in that town was
frequently objected to him as a matter of scorn, and was one principal reason why his coun-
trymen would not receive him. (John i. 46. and vii. 4K 52,) Dr. Macknight's Harmony,
TO. x. p, 53. Svo edit. See also Rosenmuller, Kuinbel, and other commentators on this
(Alex.)
n agrees in sense, though not exactly^ with the Hebrew, and also with the
p& wbtie of it occurs in Luke iii. 4-6. and ihe first part in JUatt. iii. 3. and
VI. Sect. I. !] The Old Testament in the New.
207
the way of the LOED j make
straight in the desert a high-
way for our God. Every
valley shall be exalted, and
every mountain and hill shall
be made low : and the crooked
shall be made straight ; and
the rough places plain. And
the glory of the LORD shall
be revealed ; and all flesh shall
see it together.
Deut. -viii, 3.
rrn* ntf an^rrw
mrr-'e
Man doth not live by bread
only, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth
of the LORD doth man live.
of the Lord ; make straight the
roads for our God. Every
valley shall be filled up; and
every mountain and hill be
levelled. And all the crooked
places shall be made a straight
road, and the rough way
smooth plains. And the glory
of the Lord will appear ; and
all flesh shall see the salvation
of God.
Deut. viii, 3.
Owe 7T 5 apTca fjiovea ^ijfferat
6 av&p&iros, oAA' em tsrwri
ru eKiropevafJLGJHfi Sta
060V.
Man shall not live by bread
only, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth
of God.
way of the Lord, make his
paths straight. Every valley
shall be filled, and every moun-
tain and hill shall be brought
low ; and the crooked shall be
made straight, and the rough
ways shall be made smooth ;
and all flesh shall see the sal-
vation of God.
Matt. iv. 4. Luke Iv, 4.
Owe ex' apru pom fyffer
avdpenros, AA' em tram 77
HO.TI e
Qeov.
Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of* the mouth
of God.
8. Psal. xci. 11, 12.
For he shall give his angels
charge over thee, to keep thee
in all thy ways. They shall
bear thee up in their hands,
lest thou dash thy foot against
9.
Deut. vi. 16.
mrp"n ic
Psal. sci. II, 12.
'Or* rots ayyeXots avrov ev-
reXeirat irpt crov, rov 5ta<u-
Aa|i ere <-v iraffais Tats ofiois
crov ETTI x e: P fi 5 *' ctpovtfi (Te, pi)
irore TTpoffKotyvis irpos \&ov rov
TroSa crou.
For he will give his angels
a charge concerning thee, to
keep thee in all thy ways.
With their hands they shall bear
thee up, lest thou shouldest at
any time strike thy foot against
a stone.
Deut. vi. 16.
Matt. iv. 6.
'Qn ..... rots a-yyeAow au-
rov evre\eirai -rrepi trov, KO.L
Tri xeipcav apovffi ore,
irpoffKoibrjs vpos KiBov rov
ffov t
For ...... he shall give his
angels charge concerning thee ;
and in their hands they shall
bear thee up, least at any
time thou dash thy foot against
a stone.
Matt iv. 7.
OVK etcveipofffis Kupwv
Thou shalt not tempt the Thou shall not tempt the
LORD thy God. Lord thy God.
Deut. vi. 13.
NTH *TW mrp-nN
10.
Thou shalt fear the LORD
thy God, and serve him.
Thou shalt not tempt the
Lord thy God.
Matt. iv. 10.
Kvptov rov @eov crov vtrpoff-
KWTjfffis, Kai awfa poyu Ao-
o~ets> rpev&ets.
Thou shalt fear the Lord Thou shalt worship the Lord
thy God, and serve Mm alone, thy God, and him only shalt
thou serve.
Deut vL 13.
Kvptoy rov ov <rou QoS-ri-
i wi avrta fjiove) Aorpeu-
II, Tsaix. 1, 3.
TT
D3?n { Q^arr Wi pTn
"j^n
ma TIM mate yi^
Isa.is. 1, 2.
Zafiov\uiv % 777 Ne-
KCLI ot Aoraroi ot rrjv
iraptt\ux,Jf Kai ixrepca/ rov lop-
Savav roAtAatoi rw eQvcav. 'O
Aoos 6 T&opevofjLevos ev
tfare tpeas fieya' ol
Matt. iv. 15, 16.
*O Aaos 6 icafhjyu^as ev
gravarov (pus
Kttl
eu/eri\V
i These words are not an exact translation of the Hebrew ; and Dr. Randolph observes
that it U difficult to make sense of the Hebrew or of the English in the order in which the
words at present stand. But the difficulty, he thinks, may easily be obviated, by removing
2QS
Tables of Qitotationsfrom
At the first he lightly af-
flicted the land of Zebulun,
and the land of Naphtali, and
afterwards did more griev-
ously afflict her by the way of
the sea, beyond Jordan, in
Galilee of the nations. The
people that walked in dark-
ness have seen a great light ;
they that dwell in the land of
the shadow of death, upon
them hath the light shined.
12, Isa. liii. 4. Isa.lin, 4.
S^ZlOEl Nf : Nirr i:^n p** O5ros ras apaprtcLS
BteD fapUt Kai -nr/M T\\IMV cfovvarcu.
Our infirmities he hath This man beareth away our
borne: And our sorrows he sins, and for us he is in sor-
hath carried them. (Bp*Lcwth.) row.
With regard to the region
of Zabulon, the land of Neph-
thalim, and 'the rest who in-
habit the sea shore, and be-
yond Jordan, Galilee of the
nations ; ye people who walk
in darkness, behold a great
light ! and ye who dwell in a
region, the shade of death, on
you a light shall shine.
13. Hos. vi. 6,
rnrft 'risen nsn ^
I desired mercy and not
sacrifice.
14.
Mai. ffi, 1.
Hos. vi. 6.
EAeos rfreAw T? diNno?.
I desire mercy rather than
sacrifice.
Mai. iii. 1.
[Part I. Ch.
The land of Zabulon, and
the land of Nephthalirn , by the
way of the sea, beyond Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles ; the
people which sat in darkness
saw great light : and to them
which sat in the region and
shadow of death, light is
sprung up.
Matt. via. 17.
Avros ras aff&eveias
e\cte, KCU TCLS voffovs eaff-
ratrev.
Himself took our infirmi-
ties, and bare our sicknesses.
Matt. is. 13. sii. 7.
KAeoy 3-eAoJj KOI ov frvffiav.
I will have mercy, and not
sacrifice.
Matt. xi. 10. Mark i. 2.
Luke vii. 27.
Behold I will send my mes-
senger and he shall prepare the
way before me.
15. Isa. xlii. 1-4.
rrnsn ^rm irr'p
oSoy irpo TTpoffarjrov juoy.
Behold T send forth ray
messenger, and he will ex-
amine the way before me.
Isa. xlii. 14.
KVTOV ItfpcwjA 6
o avrov
aryyeXov fwv voo vpaffcairov ffov
6s KaratTKevuffei TTJV dSov ffov
Gfj.'irpoo'dtv ffov, l
33ehold I send my messen-
ger before thy face, which
shall prepare thy way before
thee.
Matt. xii. 1821.
I501/, 6 irais [JLOV, bv Tjperiffa*
6 ayoanrjros JJ.QV, is 6v euSo/cTj-
no*(0 TO xvev-
wfo ^i^t rr3p t tfip fim
*? nro
eSKa TO tsntevfj.a JJLOV eTr* fj.a fj.ov CTT' avrov, KO.I Kpifftv
aurov,
010*61*
|- TOW eQvefftv
OVK
Ou
atiroy.
ov
KoAa/xo^ re-
uvrptfyet, KOI
ov
Ktu TW avoparri
TIS ev Tons
avTov,
ov KOLTeajj-ei, KOI
Xivov TvtyOfjLWov ov (T(?eo*ei > ews
(W 6KaA7J SIS VIKQS Tt\V KplCTLV
Kcu ev TW ovoficm aurou t
the first sis words of Isa. ix. and joining them to the former chapter, as they are in all the old
versions : And then the words may be thus rendered : As the former lime made vile, or debased,
the land fffZabulon, and the land vfWephtalit $n the latter time shall make it gfariaus. The way
qfthti sea, $c. A prophecy most signally fulfilled by our Saviour's appearance and residence
in these parts. The evangelist, from the first part of the sentence, takes only the land of Za-
Ituton, and the land of Xephthalim. What follows is an exact, and almost literal translation of
the Hebrew : only for tr^nrr, walked, is put /co&T^eww, sat. How properly this prophecy is
cited, and applied to our Saviour, see Mr. Mede's Disc, on Mark i. 14, 13. Mr. Lowtb's
Comment on Isa. 9. and Bishop Lowth's translation. (Randolph on the Quotations, p. 28.)
* This quotation differs from the Hebrew and all the old versions in these two particulars :
the words >&pQ wpoff&rov a-ov are added, and what is in Hebrew ^S7, before me, is rendered
Wp9*Srti* ff&v f tefare thee. For the reason of this difference it is not easy to account, but by
sifcifrtHiing some corruptions crept into the antient copies ; the sense is much the same. (Dr.
JtesW^fe ou the Quotations, p. 28.)
8 this (jttotatfon by no means agrees with the Septuagint version, whose authors have ob-
VI. Sect. I. $ !] TJie Old Testament in the
209
Behold my servant whom I
uphold, mine elect in whom
my soul delighteth : I have
put my spirit upon him, he
shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles. He shall not
cry, nor lift up, nor cause his
voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed shall he not
break : and the smoking flax
shall he not quench : he shall
bring forth judgment unto
truth. He shall not fail nor be
discouraged, till he have set
judgment in the earth : and
the isles shall wait for his law.
16. Isa. vi. 9, 10.
-p
Hear ye indeed, but under-
stand not : And see ye indeed,
but perceive not. Make the
heart of this people fat, and
make their eyes heavy, and
shut their eyes j lest they see
with their eyes, and hear with
their ears, and understand
with their heart, and convert,
and be healed.
Jacob is my servant, I will
uphold him; Israel is my
chosen one, my soul hath em-
braced him . I have put my
spirit upon him ; he will pub-
lish judgment to the nations:
he will not cry aloud, nor
urge with vehemence, nor will
his voice be heard abroad. A
bruised reed he will not break,
nor will he quench smoking
flax, but will bring forth judg-
ment unto truth, and in his
name shall the nations trust
(or hope).
Isa.vi.9-lL
AKOTQ oKovo'ere, KCU ov
KCU &\eirorres jSAe^gT*,
yap y tcapSta TOV \aov TOW-TOW,
KOJL TOIS cacrtv a,vr<ov jBapeas
yKova-av, KO.I rovs otp6a\fjLo\JS
eKafJ-jJ-vo-ajf, /njirore jSwcrt rots
o$Oa\iJ.ois, Kat rots too~w a/cou-
, Kat rt] Kaptita tfvi/ua-t, wat
/cat taffoueu av-
TOUS.
By hearing, ye shall hear,
though ye may not under-
stand; and seeing, ye shall
see, though ye may not per-
ceive. For the heart of this
people is stupefied, and their
ears are dull of hearing ; and
they have shut their eyes, that
for a while they may not see
with their eyes, and hear with
their ears, and understand with
their hearts, and return that
I may heal them,
Behold my servant whom
I have chosen, my beloved m
whom my soul is well pleased,
I will put my spirit upon him,
and he shall show judgment
to the Gentiles. He shall
not strive nor cry; neither
shall any man hear his voice
in the streets. A bruised reed
shall he not break, and smok-
ing flax shall he not quench,
till he send forth judgment
unto victory. And in his
name shall the Gentiles trust.
Matt. xiii. 14, 15. Acts
xxviiL26,27. Mark iv. 12.
Luke viii. 1O
AH.OTJ a/cawere, icai ov fj.7j
KOI ov fly iSijTe.
yap 7i Kapoict. rov Aaoti TOUTOU,
Kat rots utri&apeus yKovtrav, KCU
rovs o<J>0aA/ious aurcav
ffav, /uijirore ibutfi rots <
/iois, ttat TOIS tafftv
Katrri wopSio ffvvuffi, KCU ein-
crrpeif/ao-*, KO.L taertujucu avrovs. 1
By hearing ye shall hear,
and shall not understand : and
seeing ye shall see, and shall
not perceive : for this people's
heart is waxed gross, and their
ears are dull of hearing, and
their eyes they have closed! ;
lest at an^ time *feey sJxwJd
see with their eyes, and bear
with their ears, and should
understand with their heart,
and should be converted, Mid
I should heal them,
1 7. Psal. Ixxviii. 2.
Psal. Ixxviii. 2.
fid, juou, (pQeyj-opat
ra, cwr' apX"Q s '
jMatt. xiii. 33.
W
trrojta fun,
scured this prophecy by adding the words Jacob arid ^Israel, which are not in the original He-
brew. It is probably taken from some old translation agreeing very nearly with the Hebrew*
The only difficulty is in the words Iws ov wftxA^ eis VIKOS ri}v Kpifftv. But if by SEttn we
understand the cause under trial, then to send forth his cause unto trut/i t will be to carry the
cause, and vindicate its truth ; whWh agrees in sense with 6KoA9] ets vipas TIJF Kpurw. '. (Dr.
Randolph on the Quotations, p. 28.)
1 This quotation is taken almost verbatim from the Septuagint. In the Hebrew the sense
is obscured by false pointing. If, instfyTdf reading it in the imperative mood, we read it in
the indicative mood, the sense will be : ye shall hear but not nnderstimd : und ye shall see but
nat perceive* This people hath made Ihtir heart fat, and hath made their ears heavy and shut
their eyes, &c. which agrees in sense with the Evangelist and with the Septuagint, as well as
with the Syriac and Arabic Versions, but not with the Latin Vulgate. We have the same
quotation, word for word, in Acts xxviii. 26. Mark and Luke refer to the same prophecy,
but quote it only in part. (Dr. Randolph, p. 29.)
VOL. U. P
210
Tables of Quotations from
I will open my mouth in a I will open my mouth in
parable; I will utter dark parables; I will utter dark
sayings of old, sayings of old.
IS.
Isa. xxix. 13.
mn crn sn: ^
pm li
This people draw near me
with their mouth, and with
their lips do honour me, but
have removed their heart far
from me: and their fear to-
wards me is taught by the
precept of men,
19. Gen. ii. 24.
"flKt VSHTW tt*"W p'72
nriN TOi 1 ? vm inttwa pm TON
Therefore shall a man leave
his father and his mother, and
shall cleave unto his wife, and
they shall be one flesh.
2O. Exod, xx. 12-16.
:n &? nsnn
j npt? iy "ja
Honour thy father and thy
mother. Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adul-
tery. Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false wit-
ness against thy neighbour.
21, Lev, xix. 18.
^ ronwt
Thou shalt love thy neigh-
bour as thyself.
522. Zech. ix. 9, (and see
Isa. lxii.ll.)
[Part I. Ch.
I will open my mouth in
parables j I will utter things
which have been kept secret
from the foundation of the
world.
Isa. xxix. 13.
Matt. xv. 8, 9.
i b \aos ovros Tto
Tea ITTOJJI&TL avrov, KCU ey TOLS ffTOfiaTi avTav, Kai TOL$ %et\cri
Xjei\(rtv avruy rtjuowrt ju.e, fj 5e JLLC rt^a* ri 8e KapSta avruy
avruy 'aropfa awexez voppta airexet air* ejuou-
'.v- 3tSaffKa\ias }
This people draw near to
me with their mouth ; and
with their lips they honour
me, but their heart is far from
me : And in vain do they
worship me, teaching the com-
mands and doctrines of men.
Gen. ii. 24.
*E*/K6J' TOVTOV KaraK^L^ei
TQV tyarspa avrov
"&pos TI
avrov KCLI ecromaL ot $vo eis
ffapica fuavt
Therefore a man shall leave
his father and mother, and
shall cleave to his wife ; and
they two shall be one flesh.
Exod. sx. 12-16.
Ti/ia TQV txrarepa ffov, KCU rijv
ju.ijrepa ffovOv fiotxevtreis- Ov
Khefyets* Ov <povvffeis* Ou
This people draweth nigh
unto me with their mouth and
honoureth me with their lips :
but their heart is far from me.
But in vain do they worship
me, teachingyb? 4 doctrines the
commandments of men.
Matt. xix. 5.
TOVTOV KoreAetifrei
TQV ararepa teat TT\V
pyrepa, KCU. >srpoo-Ko\\Tj8-na'eTat
Tf\ yvvautL avrov KO.L effovrai.
ol 5uo eis ffapKa fuav.~
For this cause shall a man
leave father and mother, and
shall cleave to his wife ; and
they twain shall be one flesh.
Matt. xix. 18, 19.
Ou
Ov
Ttfia Toy Trarepa ffov
Honour thy father and thy
mother. Thou shalt notcom-
mit adultery. Thou shalt
not steal. Thou shalt not
commit murder. Thou shalt
not bear false witness.
Lev.xix. 18.
Kai a7omj<Tt
trov <*?$ ffeaurov.
Thou shalt do no murder :
thou shalt not commit adul-
tery : thou shalt not steal :
thou shalt not bear false wit-
ness: honour thy father and
thy mother.
Matt. xix. 19. sxii. 39.
AyaTnjtreis
ebs atavrov.
And thou shalt love thy Thou shalt love thy neigh-
neighbour, as thyself. bour, as thyself.
Zech. ix. 9.
Matt. xxi. 5.
Ewrare TTJ &vyctTp
5ou, 6 BafftXevs ffov
_ i The quotation in this passage of St. Matthew's Gospel approaches nearer to the Septua-
giiH than to the Hebrew text, especially in the clause /AOTTJV 5e ffeoyrai pe in vain do they
w&rship me ; which is found in the Septuagint, but not in the Hebrew, and is retained by the
Jjtapgelist. The verbal differences, however, show that an exact quotation was not intended.
* TOs Dotation agrees with the Hebrew, excepting that the word for two is there omitted.
But it ought to be inserted in the Hebrew text, as we have already seen in p. 188. supra*
VI. Sect. L $ 1.] The Old Testament in the New.
211
t5ov t o BatrtAevs ffov fpxerat ffoi ixrpuvs,
ffot tiiicaios Ktu ffufay avros ovov, Ktu
wpavs, KCU 67ntfK0s iri yiov. 1
VIQV
Rejoice greatly, O daughter
of Zion; shout, O daughter
of Jerusalem; behold, thy
king cometh unto thee. He
is just and having salvation,
lowly, and riding upon an ass
even upon a colt the foal of
an ass.
23. Psal. viii. 3. (2. of Eng-
lish version.)
12 mo* npn t^rn*- ^s'o
Out of the mouths of babes
and sucklings thou hast or-
dained strength.
24. Psal. cxviii. 22, 23.
nrvn t
t nrvn rni
Rejoice exceedingly, O
daughter of Sion ; make pro
clamation, O daughter of Je-
rusalem. Behold, thy king
is coming to thee ; he is righ-
teous, and having salvation.
He is meek, and mounted on
an ass, even a young colt.
Psal. viii. 2.
<rrofj.aros
; CLWQV.
Out of the mouth of babes
and sucklings thou hast per-
fected praise.
Psal. cxviii. 22, 23.
Tell yc the daughter of
Sion, Behold thy king cometh
unto thee, meek and sitting
upon an ass, and (more cor-
redly, even) a colt the foal of
an ass.
Matt. xxi. 16.
EK oTo/iaTos vti^ruttv m
frtikafrvrtev Karrjpriffcc tuvov.
Out of the mouth of babes
and sucklings thou hast per-
fected praise*
Matt. xxi. 42. Mark xii. 10.
Luke xx. 17. Acts iv 11,
AtBov ov o.ireooKifjLa.ffav ot
The stone u'/iicA the build-
ers refused, is become the head
stone of the corner. This is
the LORD'S doing, and it is
marvellous in our eyes.
25,
Exod. in. 6.
I am the God of thy father,
the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob.
IN Tlbw '33 ~E-yo> :/*i o eoy TQV varpos
'n71 prr:r "n'jM ffov, eos A&paafa KCU eoy
IffaaK, feat 0eos~ loftoS.
I am the God of thy father,
the God of Abraham, and the
God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob.
26. Dcut. vi. 5.
Deut. vi. 5.
TnV rnJT n narrT
"'?Dat "|tDD3"bDai "pl
Kvpiov TOV Qeov
trov eg o'Aijs TIJS Huanua$ ffov,
Kat. e 8\ijs ri\s vys cfov KCLI
OVTOS
eis K$a\7iv ytnvias- -orapa Ku-
pioi* eyevero ay-nj, leai etrrt
^aV^atTTT) GV 0^>6a.XjJ.OL5 TJfJLtOV,
The stone, which the build-
ers rejected, the same is be-
come the head of the corner.
This was from the Lord (or,
the Lord's doing) ; and it is
wonderful in our eyes.
Exod. iii. 6.
eis
piov
The stone which the build-
ers rejected, the same is be-
come the head of the corner ;
this is the Lord's doing, and
it is marvellous in our eyes.
Matt. xxii. 32. Mark xii. 26.
Luke xx. 37.
70* stjiu & a$ Apaa/, Kat
6 Qeos Icracuf, Kat 6 Qeos laieug.
I am the God of Abraham,
and the God of Isaac, and the
God of Jacob.
Matt. xsii. 37. Mark xii. 30,
Luke x. 27.
Ava^ffets Kvpiov TOV eov
ffov 5A.?; rrj KapSia (fott, KM ev
6\T] rt\ uTf ffov t KaL * v fa*l
1 This quotation seems to be taken from two prophecies, viz. Isa. Ixii. II. where we read.
Say ye to the daughter of Zion, behold % salvation cometh and from Zech. ix. 9* The latter
part agrees more exactly with the Hebrew than with the Septuagint; only both Saint Mat-
thew and the Septuagint seem to have read 13$, meek, instead of '3$, afflicted, (Br. Randolph
on the Quotations, p. 29.)
2 The Vatican edition of the Septuagint here translates "pa 1 ?, by rijs Siavotas crav (thy un-
derstanding But the Alexandrian edition renders it TIJS icapSias ffov (thy heart}. St. Mat-
thew takes in both, but puts tf^xu (soul) between 5 he also puts V &\i} for $ otojy agreeably to
the Hebrew and he leaves out the latter clause, with all thy strength. St. Mark and St. Luke
a<rree entirely with St, Matthew, only they add the latter clause. (Dr. Randolph.) The va-
riation from the Septuagint and Hebrew does not in the least affect the meaning. Mr. Scott
thinks with great probability, that the Evangelists, under the teaching of the Holy bpirit,
gave the meaning of this first and great commandment in the most emphatical language, witn-
out intending either implicitly to quote the Septuagir.t, or literally to translate the Hebrew.
P 2'
Tables of Quotations from
Thou shalt love the Lord Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thine heart, thy God with thy whole un-
and with all thy soul, and with demanding, and with thy
all thv might. whole soul > and with tb y
* * whole might.
Psal. ex. 1.
g7.
The LORD said unto my
Lord, Sit thou at my right
hand, until I make thine ene-
mies thy footstool.
g8. Zech. xiii. 7.
|sn j^iem nann-rw "p
Smite the shepherd, and the
sheep shall be scattered.
Psal. ex. 1.
Erej> 6 Kvpios rta Kvpuo ftov,
KaQov CK $io>v jiou, etos ay &
TUV tffoo'cav ffov,
The Lord said unto my
Lord, Sit at my right hand,
until I make thine enemies
thy footstool.
Zech. xiii. 7.
rov arotpeva, /cat
Smite the shepherd, and the
sheep of the flock shall be
scattered abroad.
[Part I. Ch.
Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and
with all thy mind.
Matt. xxii. 44. 3V!ark xii. 86.
Luke xx. 42.
Enrcv 5 Kvpios rea KvpM pou 9
Kff-Bov GK Seftwv jtiou, ecus av d-a;
crou
irofitav ffov.
The Lord said unto my
Lord, Sit thou on my right
hand, until I make thine ene-
mies thy footstool.
Matt, xxvu 31.
notTo TOV tffoifJLeva, KCU 5io-
<TKOpmff6ijff'Tcu TO, TrpoSara TTJS
I will smite the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock
shall be scattered abroad.
29,
Zech. xi, 13. Zech. xi. 13. - Matt, xxvii. 9, 10.
rt "Hi* ^STTr^W IWbttJn Ko& avravs SLS ro pwz/6u- Kcu e\a,ov ra.
cVt? TinpNI Crpb3f10 ^mp* TC3 TTjptov, KM ffKefyopai SL Sojctjuov apyvpia, TT\V nnyv rov TTtfj-
t TTiiT n*2 inM Tb'ffiWl PlDDn earut, ov rpovov eSoKifjuia-Qiiv jnevou, ov ert/iTjo-ovro airo vfuv
t"12Vr? frrep avrw /cat e\a.ov rovs Io-pcw7\. Kat eSwKav aura ets
rptoKOvra apyvpovs Kai eveffa- rov aypov rov j
Kov avrovs is rov OLKOV Kvpiov, ffvvfraj-e pot. Kvpios.
i This is the reading of the Alexandrine MS. of the Septuagint, excepting that the evan-
gelist reads iraTa|<a, / will smite , instead of vara^ov. The Arabic version agrees with Saint
Matthew ; and Drs. Randolph and Owen both think it probable that the Hebrew ought to be
read *] instead of "JH, for it follows in the first person, I will turn mine hand, c. See Hou-
bigantin loc. Kennicott's Dissertatio Geaeralis, '44. Randolph on the Quotations, p. SO.
Owen on the Modes of Quotation, p. 54.
- This citation is attended with no small difficulty. The prophecy is cited from Jeremiah :
but in that prophet no such prophecy is to be found. In Zech. xi. 13. such a prophecy is
found, but neither do the words there perfectly agree with Saint Matthew's citation. Some
critics are of opinion thgt an error has crept into Saint Matthew's copy ; and that lep has been
written by the transcribers instead of Z^x* or that the word has been interpolated. And it is
to be observed, that the word is omitted in the MSS. by Griesbach numbered 33 (of the eleventh
or twelfth century), and 157 (of the twelfth century), in the later Syriac and in the modern
Greek versions, one or two MSS. of the old Italic version, some manuscripts cited by
Augustine, and one Latin MS. cited by Lucas Brugensis. Griesbach's MS. 22. (of the
eleventh century) reads Za#o/woy, which word is also found in the margin of the later Syriac
version, and in an Arabic exemplar cited by Bengel in his Critical Edition of the New Tes-
tament. Origen, and after him Eusebius, conjectured that this was the true reading. Other
eminent mtics have thought that the ninth, tenth, and eleventh chapters of what is called
Zechariah's Prophecy were really written by Jeremiah, and they have certainly assigned very
probable reasons for such opinion both from the matter and style. (See Dr. Hammond on
Heb. viii. 9- Mede's Works, pp, 786-833. Bp. Kidder*s Deraonst. of Messiah, part ii.
j>. 196. &c. Lowth, Pnelect. Poet. Lect. *xi. See also Vol. IV. Part. I. Chap, VII. Sect.
II, HI., where reasons are assigned to show that these chapters were actually written by
^eeJiariah.) It is, however, must likely, that the original reading of Matthew xxvii. 9. was
simply, that tylch, u;of spofien BY THE PROVWET, 5m TOU frpoip^rov, without naming any prophet :
An4 was conjecture is confirmed by the fact that Saint Mattbew often omits the name of 'the
prpjpbet in his quotations. (See Matt. L 22. ii. 5. xiii. S5. and xxi. 4. ) Bengel approves of
M.QfBfcsiaBu It was, as we have already shown (see pp. 1 61, 162. of this volume), the custom
*$"$! fffl$t to, <JIvi<Je the OtD Testament into three parts : the^rtf, beginning with the Law*,
was called $? LAW 5 the second, commencing with the Psalms, was called THE PSALMS ; and
the third; N&wdng with the |*n>phet uj question, was called JEREMLKH ; consequently, tte
VI. Sect I. 1.] The Old Testament in the New.
Cast it unto the potter; a
goodly price that I was prized
at of them. And I took the
thirty pieces of silver, and cast
them to the potter in the house
of the LORD.
PsaLxxii. 19. (18. of
English version.)
^i nrn HJI
30.
They part my garments They have parted my gar-
among them, and cast lots ments among them, and for
upon my vesture. my vesture have cast lots.
Put them into the smelting
furnace, and I will see whe-
ther it is proof, in like manner
as I have been proved by them.
So I took the thirty pieces of
silver, and threw them down
in the house of the Lord, for
the smelting furnace.
Psal. xxi. 18. fxxii. 18. of
English Bible.)
ra fyurna pav
KCM eiri rov ifj.a.no'fiov
Psal. xxii.2. (1. of
English version.)
'3 rats rrctf
31.
fie;
My God, my God, why hast O God, my God, attend
thou forsaken me ? to me ! Why hast thou for-
Psal. xxii. 1.
"O cos, 6 eoy (JLOV, irpo-
Oi, Ivan
Isa. liii. 12.
32.
And he was numbered with
the transgressors,
33. Exod. xiii. 2.
Exod. xiii. 2.
"AfmffOV fJLQt iraif
titavoiyov
And they took the thirty
pieces of silver, the price of
him that was valued, whom
they of the children of Israel
did value : and gave them for
the potter's field, as the Lord
appointed me.
Matt, xxvii. 35. John xJx. 24*
TO. tfjarta juoti
KOI iri ray
They parted my garments
among them, and upon my
vesture did they cast lots.
Matt, xxvii. 46.
saken me ?
Isa. liii. 12.
Kai ev rots avopots e\oyt<r8ij.
And he was numbered
among the transgressors.
E\i 9 HAt, Actjua
TOUT* OT4, 06 flOV,
ivari ILK eyKa.T\mes ; *
Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani ?
That is to say, Hy God, my
God, why hast thou forsaken
me?
Mark xv. 28. Luke xxii. 37.
And he was numbered with
the transgressors.
Luke ii. 23.
new apvev Siavotyop fJLijrpay
wyiov rut J~
Whatsoever openeth the
womb both of man and of
beast, it is mine.
Consecrate to me every first Every male that openeth
born, that openeth every the womb shall be called holy
womb. to the Lord.
writings of Zechariah, and of the other prophets, being included in that division which began
with Jeremiah, all quotations from it would go under this prophet's name. This solution,
completely removes the difficulty. Dr. Lightfoot (who cites the Baba Bathra and Rabbi
David Kimchi's Preface to the prophet Jeremiah as his authorities) insists that the vpord Je-
remiah is perfectly correct, as standing at the head of that division from which the evangelist
quoted, and which gave its denomination to all the rest. With regard to the prophecy itself
if in Saint Matthew*s Gospel, for e^taxav, THEY gave, we read eSwtfo, /gae, which is the read-
ing of the Evangelisteria, 24 and 31, of Griesbach's notation (both of the eleventh century)
and of both the Syriac versions, the evangelist's quotation will very nearly agree with the ori-
ginal. That we should read e5w/t, Igave t appears further to be probable from what follows,
KaSra <ruv6rae pot Kvpios, as the Lord commanded me, Kcu eAaoOV ra rpicucovra o/ryupfa, ireu
cSauca avra &$ rov aypov rov Kepapews* and I took the thirty pieces of silver, and I gave them for
the potter s Jield. The translation is literal, excepting only that "isrprr is rendered aypov rov
Kepapeas and nirn ITl is omitted ; and the same is also oraitied in some antient MSS. (See
Kennicott's Dissertatio Generalis, 49. p. 21.) The words <ri)v rifflv rov rerifififji&ou bv
erifjoiffavro airo vtw Iffoa^K and KO&O. ffuverofe pot Kvpios are added to supply the sense, being
taken in sense, and very nearly in words, from the former part of the verse ; this latter clause
is in the Arabic version. Dr. Randolph on the Quotations, p. SO. Novum Testamentum, ai,
Griesbach, torn. i. p. 134. Dr. Lightfoot's Horae Hebraicae on Matt, rxvii. 9. (Works,
voLii. p. 265.)
i This is taken from the Hebrew, hut the words are Syriac or Chaldee* Sabachthani is the
wtffd now in the Chaidee Paraphrase. (Dr. Randolph, p. SO,)
P 3
Tables of Quotations from
[Part I. Cb.
34.
Lor. sii, 8.
The zed of thine house hath
eaten me up.
37. Psal. Jxxviii. 24.
And had given tliem of the
com of heaven.
Jsa.liv.I3.
mrr v
38.
And all thy children shall
be taught of the LORD.
Lev. xii. S,
Avo Tpir/ofas i\ 5uo veoffffovs
Two turtles or two young
pigeons.
So. Isa. Ixi. 1, 2,
Hip : mp npe cnicM^i mn
mrr? psrn:e
The Spirit of the LORD
GOD is upon me, because the
Lord hath anointed me to
preach good tidings unto the
meek, he hath sent me to bind
up the broken-hearted, to pro-
claim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison
to them that are bound : to
proclaim the acceptable year
of the LORD.
36, Psal, Ixix. 10. (9, of
English version.)
Two turtle-doves or two
young pigeons.
Isa, Ixi. 1, 2.
TlpeVjUa Kvpiou eir* e/ie, ov
civacev fXP l<f ^ "
vov;
Tfjv KctpSiav,
rots atyfffw, KM rwp\Qts ara-
Aafw KaAeora* evtavrov Ku-
flOU fa
The Spirit of the Lord is
upon me, for the business for
which he hath anointed me.
He hath sent me to preach
the Gospel to the poor, to
heal the broken-hearted, to
preach deliverance to the cap-
tives, and recovering of sight
to the blind, to proclaim the
acceptable year of the Lord.
Psal.lx.viii. 9. (Ixix. 9. of
English Bible.)
'O fy\os TOVOIKOV erou /care-
Zeal for thine house hath
consumed me,
Psal. Ixxviii. 24.
Keu aprov ovpavov eSwicey
aVTOLS.
And he gave them the bread
of heaven.
Isa. liv. IS.
Kat Tcavras rovs vtovs (fov
Luke ii. 24.
s rpuyovfcv TJ 5yo
A pair of turtle-doves, or
two young pigeons.
Lukeiv. 18, 19.
Tlvcvfut Kvpiov 67r* e^Lte, 06
^ecrflai isrrux 015 '
. rovs
fJLZVQVS SV WpCfffl"
ewavro^ Kuptou Se/crov. T
The Spirit of the Lord is
upon me, because he hath
anointed me to preach the
Gospel to the poor, he hath
sent me to heal the broken-
hearted, to preach deliverance
to the captives, and recovering
of sight to the blind, to set at
liberty them that are bruised,
to preach the acceptable year
of the Lord.
Johnii. 17.
'O ll\Q$ TOV QtKQV 00V ftT-
Even thy sons, all instructed
of God.
The zeal of thine house hath
eaten me up.
Johnvi. 31.
A.prov K TOU ovpavov e8(aK&r
avrois tyaryeiv.
He gave them bread from
heaven to eat,
Johnvi. 45.
Kcw &QVTCU, Kcatres SiSeuero*
TOU OU.
And they shall be all taught
of<3od.
1 This quotation is made exactly from the Septuagint, as far as the words acx/uaAaro:s
a$e<ny, deliverance to the captives : and it accords with the Hebrew, except that the word Je-
hovah twice occurs there, which is omitted in the Septuagint and by the Evangelist. But,
instead of the Hebrew clause, translated ike opening of the prison to them that are bound, we
read ru^Xoss avaXe$iv recovering of sight to the blind; which words are adopted by St. Luke,
who adds, avoGTeikai r&pavffpevovs w atpefft, setting at liberty them that are bruised^ which
words do not appear in the Septuagint. The difference between this quotation as it appears
in Luke iv. IS. and the original Hebrew is thus accounted for Jesus Christ doubtless read
the prophet Isaiah in Hebrew, which was the language constantly used in the Synagogue ; but
the Evangelist, writing for the use of the Hellenists (or Greek Jews) v>ho understood' and
used only the Septuagint version, quotes that version, which on the whole gives the same sense
as the Hebrew. Le Clerc, Dr. Owen, and Michaelis, are of opinion that they are either a
diitoent Version of the Hebrew, and inserted from the margin of the evangelical text, or
else that they are a gloss upon it, taken from Isa. Iviii. 6. where the very words occur in the
Greek, ihough the Hebrew text is very different. The Arabic version agrees nearly with
*fee E?sgli!5t, The Hebrew appears formerly to have contained more than we now find
in the manuscripts and printed editions. (Scott, Randolph.)
VI. Sect. I. L] The Old Testament in the New. 215
39. Isa. xii. 3, Johnvii,3S.
40. Psal. Ixxxii. 6.
DMN s<rrt *mti ':
I have said, Ye are gods.
41.
Zech. ix. 9.
See the passage, in No. 22.
pp. 210, 211. supra.
42. Isa. liii. 1.
mrp yrrn unsn'ttb
Psal. Ixxxii. 6.
Eyu enra, 3-coi cove.
I said, Ye are gods.
Zech, ix, 9.
See the passage in No. 22.
pp. 210, 211. supra.
Isa. liii. 1.
TIS eirtffTva-e rt] C&KOTJ
Kai 6 fipaxKav Kvpiov TIM
avrov fevffovffiv u5Toy
He that believeth on me,
as the Scripture hath said, out
of his belly shall flow rivers
of living water.
Johu x. 34.
I said, Ye are gods.
John xii. 1 3. (See Matt.xxi.
5. pp.210, 211. supra.)
Ka&Tjij.ej'os Girt irta\ov ovov. *
Fear not, daughter of Sion;
behold thy king cometh, sit-
ting on an ass's colt.
John xii. 38. (and see Rom. x.
Kupie, ns eTTierrcwr* ri) aKoij
Kcti 6 Boa-yiav Kvpiov twi
Who hath believed our re-
port ? And to whom hath the
arm of the Lord been re-
vealed ?
43- Isa. vi. 9, 10.
See the passage, No. 16.
p. 209. supra.
Lord, who hath believed
our report ?
And to whom hath the arm
of the Lord been revealed (or,
made manifest) ?
Isa. vi. 9, 10.
See the passage in No.
p. 209. supra.
Lord, who hath believed
our report ?
And to whom hath the arm
of the Lord been revealed ?
John xii. 40. (See Matt xiu.
14, 15. p. 209- supra*)
Terufatoxev avrtav TQVS o$-
&ot\[jLOv$ 3 Ktu weirupuKev avrup
TT\V KapSiav tva ptj iSwfft rots
1 Thore are no words answering to these either in the Septuagint, or in the Hebrew. It
is indeed no citation, but only a reference or allusion. The Jewish writers inform us that on
the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, it was usual to pour water on the altar, to denote
their praying then for the blessing of rain, the latter rain, which was then wanted against their
approaching seed-time : This water they drew out of Siloah, and brought it with great pomp
and ceremony to the temple, playing with their instruments, and singing, and repeating the
words of the prophet : With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. (Isa. xii. 3,1
Our Lord, according to his usual custom, takes occasion from hence to instruct the people-
and applies this ceremony and this scripture to himself : He signifies to them that the water
here spoken of was to be had from him alone If any man thirst, let him come -unto me, and
drink : He that believeth in me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his Mly shall flow rivers of
living water. The word KoiKta, here translated belly, signifies a hollow receptacle, and may
properly be used for such cisterns or reservoirs, as were usually built to receive the waters
issuing from their fountains: The meaning then is, that every true believer shall, according
to this scripture, repeated by the people on this occasion, abound with living water, have within
him such a cistern, as will supply living water, both for his own and other's use ; What is
signified by water we are informed in the next verse, viz. the gifts of the Spirit : The like me-
taphor our Lord makes use of, John iv. 10. And in the prophetic writings (see Isa. xliv. 3.
Iv. 1. Ezek, xxx vi. 25-27. Zech. xiv. 8.) it is often peculiarly used to signify the gifts and
graces of the Spirit to be conferred under the gospel dispensation. (Dr. Randolph, p. 31.)
2 This differs both from the Septuagint and the Hebrew, and also from the citation in
Matt. xxi. 5. The evangelist either followed some other translation, or chose to express
briefly the sense, but not the words of the prophet. (Ibid.)
P 4
216
Tables of Quotations from
[Part L Ch.
44. Psal. xli. 9.
Mine own familiar friend,
which did eat of my
bread, hath lift up his heel
against me.
45. Psal.cix, 3. (See Psal.
xxxv. 19. and Ixix. 4,)
Neither shall ye break
bone thereof.
48.
Zech. xii. 10.
m ^/in
Psal. xli. 9.
p aprou
Kwev ir' ep. i
He, who ate of my bread,
hath lifted up his heel against
They ...fought against me
without & cause.
46* Psal. xxii. 19. (18. of
English version. )
mr^3n on 1 ? naa ipfrp
t VYU Vj^
They part my garments
among them, and cast lots
upon my vesture,
47. Exod. xiL 46. (See Psal.
xxxiv. 20.)
Fsal. cix. 3.
ETroA.jU,T)(rav /ie Scy/jeay.
They fought against me
without cause.
Psal. xxii. 18.
o Ta I/xccTta juou
r, KCU 7Tl TOV ,"
-, KCU vofiffcaai TTJ Kap-
om, Kat eiTLcrTpatpuc'., KM taffa-
fj.a.1 avrovs. 3
He hath blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart ; that
they should not see with their
eyes, nor understand with^eir
heart, and be converted, and
I should heal them.
Johnxiii. 18.
e O rpcaytav per epov rov
aprov, 7njpev eir' e/ze TTJV
vrrepvav avrov,
He that eateth bread with
me, hath lifted up his heel
against me.
John xv. 25.
They hated me without a
cause.
John xix. 24.
ra ifj.tx.Tia JJ.QU
TOV
They parted my raiment
among them, and for my ves-
ture they did cast lots.
Exod. xii. 46.
Kot offTovv ou (Tuzn-pi^CTe
air* aurou.
And ye shall not break a
bone thereof.
Zech. xii. 10*
Tliey parted my raiment
among them, and for my ves-
ture they did cast lots.
John xix. 36.
OOTOW ou tfvvTpiT)a > Ttu
aurou. 3
A bone of him shall not be
broken.
John xix. 37.
eis o>
1 The Evangelist has here given us the sense of the Prophet in short : If we suppose that
Xoos avros (as it is in the Hebrew mn Qn) is to be understood as the nominative case before
TtTvqXuKW, (it being not unusual for words that signify a multitude to be joined with plural
pronouns or adjectives) and read ctiVrcey with an aspirate, the citation will be a good translation
of the original, only somewhat abridged. (Dr. Randolph on Quotations, p. 31.)
2 This quotation agrees both with the S^ptuagint and with the Hebrew, except that what
the former renders 6ira\ejtwi<rcw {foitght against), is by the evangelist rendered efUff^ffav (they
hated}. Or possibly the passage intended to be cited may be Psal. xxxiv. (xxxv. of English
Bible) 19. where the Psalmist speaks of those who were his enemies wrongfully; fuffovvres
/t Sa'peap who hate me without cause, ( Randolph, Scott.)
s This gives tbe sense both of the Septuagint and the Hebrew, except that it expresses in
the passive voice what is there spoken in tlie active. Or it may be taken from Psal. xxxiv. 20.
where it expressed passively, thus : Ta o*rra avruv* kv e avrtav ou awrp&TjaGTcu. He ieepeth
ail tkeir bones } not one of them shall be broken. (Randolph, p. 32 )
4 It is evident that tbe Evangelist here plainly read v?** (him) instead of b (me) in the
Hefopew * But so also read thirty-six Hebrew MSS. and two antient editions. And that this
is the tm reading appears by what follows and they shall mourn/or him. On the authority
s. Archbishop Newcome reads and translates v*? Aim* ("Minor Prophets,
r
VI. Sect. I. J 1.] The Old Testament in tlie New.
217
They shall look on him
whom they pierced. (Archbp.
Newcomers version, )
49. Fsal. Ixix. 26. (25. of
English version.)
(And see Psal. cxix. 8.)
Let their habitation be de-
solate, and let none dwell in
their tents.
50. Psal. cix. 8.
; in np" 1 imps
Let another take his office.
51. Joeliii. 1-5. (ii. 28-32.
of English version.)
rw rrm
taa'iirra pnbrr rnabn
DHan"7$ an MHT rna'in
norm D^'
O'nBin vinai ; >rm-
rmnm wj C
rrvm "pro -jarr
" mm DV
mrr*
They will look to me in-
stead of the things, concern-
ing which (or against which)
they have contemptuously
danced.
Psal. Ixix. 25.
7j eiravXis avrtav
, KCU SV TOIS (HOJP&J-
avrtav fjurj ecrrw 6 KO.TOI-
KUV.
Let their tent (or habitation)
be desolate, and in their dwell-
ings no inhabitant,
Psal. cix. 8.
Kcet rt\v eTriffKOTrijv avrov
XaGoi erepos.
And let another take his
office, [or bishoprick] .
Joelii. 28 32.
Kai (frai /xera ravra, Kai
xe<w a ' jro rov irvevfjia.?!)* pov
CTTl TTOlffOrV CfOLpKOij KCU *KTpOd>7]~
ot vtoi vfjitov, Kai at
s V/JLUV, Kai
repoi vpuv evvnvit
trovrai, KCU ot veavicricoi uu<av
8paveis otyovrcu. Kai eiri rovs
couXovs /J-ov Kai eiri ras SovAas
(J.OV ev rais TjfJiepats eKewats
KX eco a7ro TOU fffvevfiaros JJLOV.
Kai Scoffta repara V ovpavoe, KCU
eiri TTfjs 7175 alpa K&I wvp KOI
They shall look on him
whom they pierced.
Actsi. 20.
vj evAvXts etvrov
eprjuos, KCU \M\ ecTTt? 6 Karouctay
: eis ffKoros, KCU tj
eis alp.a, txrpw s\9eiv
Tyv -^jUcpai/Kupiov rt\v peyaXiiv,
Kai iri(j)a,V7]. Kent, sffraij TTOCS
6s av eirMaXeffrtrai TO
Let his habitation be deso-
late, and let no man dwell
therein.
Acts i. 20.
TTJV fTTiffKOTniy avrov XaSoL
6T6pOS.
His bishoprick let another
take.
Actsii. 1721. (See Rom.
x. 13.)
Keu effTai v rais *
Tjnepais (\eyei 6 cos),
iroufav tyctpKGL' KCU
(jovffiv ot vtoi f>tuov* Kai at &u-
yarzpes v/j.a>v, KCU ot vtaanvKai
IS O^OIWTCU, KOI 01
ewirvta eir-
Ktu 76 em
rovs SovAow JJLQV KCU. ewi ras
$ov\as pov, tv rais
pares /u.ou, KCU. vpotfytfrevffoufft.
Kai 5&ffot repara & rco ovpavu
CtJfQJf KCU O"T]U,Gta &TI TffS IfflS
Korto, afjua Kai two KCU cerfn^a
KaiCVQV* *O 77AlOS tI6TCWTptt
^fferai eis encores, /cat ij ff-
\v\irn eis ai/xa, Trpw rj cXQeiv ri\v
ijpGpcur Kvpiou rt[v fjisyaXfiv KCU.
CTrt^cu/T]. Kai <TTa:, tsras bs
av eiriKaXeffirjrai TO ovo^a Ku-
And it shall come to pass
afterward, that I will pour out
my spirit upon all flesh ; and
your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, your old men
shall dream dreams, and your
young men shall see visions.
And also upon the servants
and the handmaids in those
days will I pour out my spirit.
And I will show wonders in
the heavens and in the earth,
And it shall come to pass
after those things, that I will
pour out a portion of my spirit
upon all flesh ; and your sons
and your daughters shall pro-
phesy ; and your old men
shall dream dreams, and your
young men shall see visions.
Arid on my servants and on
my haiidmaids in those days I
will pour out a portion of my
spirit. And I will exhibit
And it shall come to pass
in the last days (saith God),
I will pour out of my spirit
upon all flesh : and your SODS
and your daughters shall pro*
phesy, and your young men
shall see visions, and your old
men shall dream dreams : And
on my servants and on my
handmaidens, I will pour out
in those days of my spirit:
and they shall prophesy . And
1 This agrees in sense, though not in words with the Septuagint, which is a literal trans-
lation of the Hebrew. The only difference is, that the apostle applies to a particular person,
What was spoken by David of his enemies in the plural. (Dr, Randolph, p. 32.)
218
Tables of Quotations from
blood and fire, and pillars of
smoke, The sun shall be
turned into darkness and the
moon into blood, before the
great and the terrible day of
the LOBD come. And it shall
come to pass, that whosoever
shall call on the name of the
LORD shall be delivered.
wonders in the heavens and
on the earth, blood and fire,
and smoky vapour. The sun
shall be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood, be-
fore the coming of the great
and illustrious day of the
Lord. And it shall come to
pass, that whosoever shall call
on the name of the Lord shall
be saved.
[Pcu-t I. Ch.
I will show wonders in hea-
ven, above, and signs in the
earth beneath, blood and fire,
and vapour of smoke. The
sun shall be turned into dark-
ness, and the moon into blood,
before that great and notable
day of the Lord come. And
it shall come to pass that who-
soever shall call on the name
of the Lord shall be saved.
52. Pbal. xvi. 8-11
13 T^n na:^ mrr
iyt no's? pb : ^"itrt
ptt 1 ntja'*]
j3B-n mrrow siis an
I have set the LORD always
before me; because he is at
my right hand I shall not be
moved. Therefore my heart
is glad, and my glury re-
joieethj my flesh also shall
rest in hope. For thouvsilt
not leave my soul in hell, nor
suffer thy Holy One to see
corruption. Thou wilt show
me the path of life ; in thy
presence is fulness of joy.
53. Deut.xviu% 15, 19.
Psal.xvi.S- 11.
rav Kvpiov evw-
viov fjiov 5:a Travros, 6rt K
5eii> fJLov effTtVy Iva, ij.fi <fa-
Aeu0w. Aia rovro
TJ Kapfiia juo
TJ 7Awo-<ra
Acts ii, 25 28.
TOV
5ta Travr
juou eunv, t
Aza TOUTO
7] KaoSiO jUOU.
ert 5e /cat 77 7? yXwa-cra fiou' eri Se K
KaraffKTjyciao'ei 67r' <rap juou KaraffKriVdiffei
'On OVK e^KaroAet- cATnoV 'On owe
ffs rrjy tyvx'nv p
rov bffiov (fou i5ew ouSe Swcrety TOV &<riov <roo
', ttyvcapiffas /-to: oSoi/s SiaQQopan'. "Eyvajpicras juot
juera row
I foresaw the Lord conti-
nually before me, because he
is at my right hand that I may
not be moved. Therefore my
heart was gladdened, and my
tongue exulted with joy;
moreover my flesh also will
dwell in hope. For thou wilt
not leave my soul in Hades,
(or, the mansion of dead,) nor
suffer thine Holy One to see
corruption. Thou hast made
known to me the ways of life.
Thou with thy presence wilt
fill me with joy,
Deut. xviii. 15. 19,
juera rov tsrpoerajTrou <rov. 1
I foresaw the Lord always
before me face, for he is on
my right hand, that I should
not be moved : therefore did
my heart rejoice, and my
tongue was glad ; moreover
also my flesh shall rest in
hope ; because thou wilt not
leave my soul in hell, neither
wilt thou suffer thine Holy
One to see corruption* Thou
hast made known to me the
ways of life ; thou shalt make
me full of joy with thy coun-
tenance.
Actsiiu 22, 23.
<rou, us ejtte, aa/affrj^rei croi Ku. l\vpio$ 6 cos fyieyj/ e rcav
plQ$ & 60S 1 ffOV* CtUTOU O/COU- CtSeAf&WI/ VLLQJV) &S ^t6" (XUTOU
<re(rfire Hot 6 ctvOpuiros oKoua*eo-&e Kara Travra oVa ay
OS CtV tLf] CtKOUff'fl <5o"Ct OtV A.CS-* ActATJO'T] IT DOS lfU&$*
* Hiis quotation is taken from the Septuagint, but differs in several respects from the He-
brew, Forwiffi is put vpoupuwv. The Vulgate here agrees with the Septuagint ; the
Syriac and Chaldee versions with the Hebrew. The Arabic differs from them all; for this
difference it Is not easy to account. Again, for mas, my glory, is put y y\uff(ra juov, my
tongue. Hie Vulgate and Arabic, as well as the Septuagint, agree with the apostle; the
Chaldee and Syriac with the Hebrew. For ?aii) is put vrhyputreis /ie. Here again the Vul-
gate, Arabic, and Septuagint agree. The Syriac reads satii&or .- the true reading, Dr. Randolph
tonjectures, might perhaps be nttJX, which the Septuagint might translate according to the
sense irJwjjxwreis /xe. These are but trifling differences ; the most important is that Won,
^% QMS, in the plural number, is translated by the Septuagint and cited by the apostle, and
applied to our Saviour in the singular, TOP baiQv <rov, Thine Holy One, This reading is con-
%S!Z lH "' r mar S inal reading, by all the antient versions, and by one hundred and
feigter of the best Hebrew MSS., and it is required by the sense. The Masorites have marked
fmi reading as doubtfuL See Kennicott's Dissert I* p. 49&, and also bis Dissertatio
Qenera Banddph,p.32/ Owen, p. 71,
VI. Sect. I. 1.] TJie Old Testament in the New.
219
The LORD thy God will
raise up unto thee a prophet
from the midst of thee, of thy
brethren, like unto me : unto
him shall ye hearken.
And it shall come to pass, that
whosoever will not hearken
unto my words, which he shall
speak in my name, I will re-
quire it of him.
54. Gen. xxii. IS.
"in ba "pin
juou, eyw eKSwcrjcrw e|
The Lord thy God will
raise up for thee, from among
thy brethren, a prophet like
unto me; to him shall ye
hearken. And whosoever
will not hearken to what that
prophet shall speak in my
name, I will execute ven-
geance on him.
traffa fax 1 *}, fyns w pai cutovay
rov wpo^rov CKGIVOV, eo\o-
Gen. xxii. 18.
Kcu
a.i ev ra
trou iravra ra efrvri
A prophet shall the Lord
your God raise up unto you,
of your brethren, like unto
me ; him shall ye hear in all
things whatsoever he shall say
unto you. And it shall come
to pass, that every soul which
will not hear that prophet,
shall be destroyed from among
the people.
Acts Hi, 25.
Ktt* TGJ (TITfpfLari ffOV VV~
Xoyri^ffoifrat araffci at tra-
rpicu TTJS TTJS.
T7JS 7TJS.
And in thy seed shall all And .in thy seed shall all And in thy seed shall all
the nations of the earth be the nations of the earth be the kindreds (i. e. nations, as
blessed. -
blessed,
55. Psal. ii. 1, 2.
n^rm
s'rp tpn
-rnmoia
"Why do the nations rage,
and the people imagine a vain
thing? The kings of the
earth set themselves, and the
rulers take counsel together,
against the LORD, and against
his Anointed.
56.
Gen. xii, 1.
Get thee out from thy coun-
try, and from thy kindred, and
from thy father's house, unto
a land that I will show thee.
Psal. ii. 1, 2.
'Ivart <j>pvaav eQvrj, Kai
\aot e^eA.eT7jo"ay Keva ; Tlap-
etrrrjo-cw ol paffi\ets TT?S 777?, KO.L
ot apxovTGS ffvvr)xQwu> err* TO
CIVTO Kara rou Kvptov, KCU Kara
rov Xpttrrou aurou.
Why did the nations rage,
and the people imagine (or
meditate) vain things? The
kings of the earth stood up (or
combined), and the rulers as-
sembled together against the
Lord and his Anointed.
Gen. xii. 1.
6/C TTJS 77JS ffOV KOI
e/c TTJS ffvyy&eias erot;, Kai ett
rov QMOV rov warpos ffov* KAI
Sfvpo ts rrjv 777^, f]v av trot
Ssi^d).
Depart from thy land, and
from thy kindred, and from
the house of thy father, and
come to the land which I will
show thee.
being derived from one com-
mon ancestor] of the earth be
blessed.
Acts iv. 25, 26.
'Ivan <f>pva%ai/ eBvj] ) K.O.I \aot
ejueA.6TTj<raz/ Keva; TTapccrTTjcraK
ol j8atrtA.6is TTJS 7771, KOI ot
OSp^OJTS O"W1Jp0TJrfQrJi' 7Ti Tt>
avro Kara rov Kvptov, Kai Kara
rov Xpicrrov avrov.
"Why did the heathen rage,
and the people imagine vain
things. The kings of the earth
stood up, and the rulers were
gathered together, against the
Lord and against his Christ
(i, e. MESSIAH, or ANOINTED
one.)
Acts vii. 3.
EeA&e CK TTJS TTJS (Toy, KCCI
e/c TTJS ffvyyeveias <rou, Kai favpo
T> our trot f
Get thee out of thy country,,
and from thy kindred, and
come into the land which I
shall show thee.
57. Gen. xv. 13, 14,
Gen. xv. 33, 14.
etrrat ro
ffOV GV 777 OVK tSiO, KOL
trovffiv avrovs, Kai
avrovf, KCW TaTreiz/cwouirfj/ v- ^
rovs, TTfMWCOT(a
To Se TO
Acts Tii. 6, 7.
'Ort orr<
6? 717
avro, feat
try Tfrpaicotria.
$QV\
& cos-
Kt
1 This expresses tKe sense both of the Hebrew and Septuagint, but not the words ; it may
possibly be taken from some other translation or paraphrase. (Dr. Randolph. 33.)
220
Tables of Quotations from
[Part I. Ch.
That thy seed shall be a
stranger in a land that is not
theirs, and shall serve them,
and they shall afflict them four
hundred years. And also that
nation whom they shall serve
will I judge : and afterwards
shall they come out with great
substance.
58.
cyw per a 5e retime, t
rai w5e juera a.iroa'Ksuijs iroAAT/s.
Thy seed shall sojourn in
a land not their own. And
they shall be enslaved and
afflicted, and humbled, four
hundred years. But the na-
tion which they shall serve I
will judge ; and after that
they shall come out hither
with much wealth.
Gen. xlvi. 27.
natro* 4x OIKOU lanug at
iff\6ovffcu fJLera loKtoS eis Ai-
\arpevffova~t JJLOL *v r<a TOTTW
That his seed should sojourn
in a strange land, and that
they should bring them into
bondage, and entreat them evil
four hundred years. And the
nation, to whom they shall be
in bondage, will I judge, said
God : and after that shall they
come forth, and serve me in
this place.
Actsvii. 14.
AffooTstAas Be leunty ^uere-
Ka\ffaro rov tzrarepa avrov
KOL vcurav rijv avyye-
avrov ev i|/u%a
Gen. xlvi. 27.
ap-n'3b
o*3?ltD
AH the souls of the house All the souls of Jacob's Then sent Joseph, and call-
of Jacob, which came into house, that went with him into ed his father Jacob to him,
Eavpt were threescore and Egypt, were seventy-five souls, and all his kindred, threescore
ten souls. and fifteen souls -
(See Josb, xxiv. 32.)
Actsvii. 16.
*O G>i>J7<raTO Afyaa
apyvptov Trapa r<av vtW
60 Amos v. 25-27.
ri'2
run QSTD rroD n
Amos v. 25, 26.
MTJ o*$ayia, KOI 3-vcrms irpoff-
TflveyKare fioi, OIKOS lffp<vn\ 9
feffffapaKovra. errj ev TI\ ffrrj^ea ;
Ko: oveAa^ere TTJV ffKTiirrjv rov
KCU TO turrpov rov &ov
aVj rovs rwovs av-
nov ovs 67ro77craT eavrots' Kat
Iterouato vfMS eTrtKciva. Aa^ua.
OTKOU.
That Abraham bought for
a sum of money, of the sons
of Emmor, the father of Sy-
chem.
Acts vii. 42, 43.
Mrj tfQayia, KCLI bunas Tffooff-
ijveyKare pot ery reo~o*apa-
ev ri) cpiifJM, OIKOS
; Kcu ave\aSere ri\v
QV MoAox, KOI TO a<r-
rpov rov d-eow VJJLUJ/ 'Pefjufrav,
roVS rVTtOVS OVS WOiTJ(TttT6
TsrpoffKVveiv ecu-raw Ktu /terot-
ICKU vfMs
1 It seems to have been Stephen*s design to give a short account of the conduct of God
towards the children of Israel. In this he does not confine himself to the words.of Moses,
but abridges his history, and sometimes adds a clause by way of explication. The present
citation agrees very nearly with the Hebrew. It only adds, cncev 6 <-os ; and again, KOI
Aorpetwrowrt fiat & T& TOTTW TOUTW; which seems to refer to v. 16. where it is said, they shatt
come hither again* (Dr. Randolph on the Quotations, p. 35.)
2 In this quotation there is a very considerable error in the copies of the New Testament ;
and some commentators have supposed that Abraham's purchase of a piece of land of the
children of Heth, for a sepulchre, was alluded to. But this is clearly a mistake. It is most
probably as Bishop Pearce (in loc.) and Dr* Randolph (p. 33.) have conjectured, that Afyaap
is an interpolation, which has crept into the text from the margin, If therefore we omit this
name, the sense will run very clearly thus. So Jacob went down, into Egypt and died, he and
our fathers. And they (our fathers) were carried over into Sychem* and laid in the sejwlchre,
wMcA he (Jacob) bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmar the father of Syckem. See
J0sh. xxiv. 32. and Dr. Whitby, on Actsvii. 16.
3 This seems to be taken from the Septuagint, though with some variation. The only
cciisiderable difference is that we here read Bagu\wi/as, Eaoylon, instead of Aa^cwr/tou, Da-
mascus, in the Septuagint. The Hebrew and all the antient versions read Damascus, as also
do oae or two manuscripts and this seems to be the true reading. The Septuagint agrees
in sera*, tfeosgh not literally, with the Hebrew. 'Paifav, or 'Pe^a, was the name of the
same idol in Egypt, which was called fto (CHIUX) in Syria, and represented the planet Saturn*
VI. Sect. !.$!.] The Old Testament in the Ne.
Have ye offered unto me
sacrifices and offerings, in the
wilderness, forty years, O
house of Israel ? But ye have
borne the tabernacle of your
Moloch and Chiun, your
images, the star of your god
which ye made to yourselves.
Therefore I will cause you
to go into captivity beyond
Damascus.
61. Isa. Ixvi. 1,2.
*D3 twatin rnrr ^IDK
ISSN rvi rm 'bn mn
ro
Thus saith the LORD, the
heaven is my throne, and the
earth is my footstool: where
is the house that ye build unto
me? And where is the place
of my rest? For all those
things hath mine hand made.
62. Isa. liii. 7,8.
>ish brr-Gi bav rmab mn
: vs nnD* htVi nobw n^iu
Did you, O house of Israel,
offer to me burnt offerings
and sacrifices forty years in
the wilderness? You have,
indeed, taken up the tent of
Moloch, and the star of your
god Raiphan those types of
them which you have made
for yourselves. Therefore I
will remove you beyond Da-
mascus.
Isa. Ixvi 1, 2.
OUTCOS Aeyei Kvpios, 'O ov-
pavos IJLOV &povo$, KCU TJ 77?
VWOTTofilOV ruv TCO^OJjf jUOU" TTOiOV
OIKOV oiKQ$op,vjffCTe juat; Kat
"xoios TOCOS' TVJS KaTcnravfffws
HQV ; Tlavra yap ravra. drooi-
ffeV ff %tp fAOT}.
Thus saith the Lord, The
heaven is my throne, and the
earth my footstool. What sort
of an house will ye build me ?
And of what sort shall be the
place of my rest? For all
these things my hand hath
made.
Isa. liii. 7.
7cpoarov &T
O ye house of Israel, have
ye offered to me slain beasts
and sacrifices, forty years in
the wilderness ? Yea, ye took
up the tabernacle of Moloch,
and the star of your god Rem-
phan, figures which yc made
to worship them, and I will
carry you away beyond Ba-
bylon.
Acts viL 49, 50.
C O ovpavos IJ.OL dpovos, TJ Be
777 vwovotiiov roav va&euf paw
TfOLOV OMOV OLKO0[J.ri<reT fj.0t}
\eyet Kvpios' i\ rts TOTFOS TTJS
Ovx* ^ X 1 P
Tcwra -nrawa ;
woryei TO
Tt\v yeveav eunov ns
TOZ ; 6n aiperai euro
7)
He is brought as a lamb to
the slaughter ; and as a sheep
before her shearers is dumb,
so he openeth not his mouth.
He was taken from prison and
from judgment; and who shall
declare his generation ; for he
was cut off out of the land of
the living.
63. (SeePsal.lxxxix.'SO, and
- 1 Sam. xiii. 14.)
Heaven is my throne, and
earth is my footstool: what
house will ye build me ? saith
the Lord : or what is the place
of my rest? Hath not my
hand made all these things ?
Acts viii. 32, 33.
trpoiwrov cm
Kai & s Q-twas
TOU Ktipovros avrov
ovr&s OVK avotyei TO
auroi;. E*> TT? rairetytaffft ou-
TOV TI KPUTLS avrov ripQn' TTJV
yijs
He was led as a sheep to the
slaughter, and as a lamb be-
fore its shearer is dumb, so he
openeth not his mouth* In his
humiliation his legal trial was
taken away. Who will declare
his manner of life? Because his
life was taken from the earth.
or i aip&rai GOTO TIJS yqs i
He was led as a sheep to
the slaughter, and like a lamb
dumb before his shearer, so
opened he not his mouth. In
his humiliation his judgment
was taken away, and who shall
declare his generation ? for his
life is taken from the earth.
Acts. xiii. 252.
TOW Ir<rai,
ra Tf\v Koptitav juou, 6s
tsra^ra TCC freXTj^uaTa
jUOV.
I have found David the son
of Jesse, a man after ray own
heart, which shall fulfil all my
will.
See Hammond, Lud. de Dieu, Annot. Lowth on Amos, v, 25. Spencer de Leg. Heb.
L iii. c. 3. Michaelis, Supplem. ad Lex. Heb. p. 1225. (Randolph, p. 34.) The apparent
variance between the prophet and Stephen is of no moment ; as the prophecy was fulfilled by
Salmaneser, king of Assyria, carrying the people of Israel both beyond Damascus and Ba-
bylon, into the cities of the Medes. See 2 Kings xvii. 6. (Dr. Randolph.)
1 The quotation is here made from the Septuagint with no material variation ; the pro-
nouns aww and a&T&v,{kw> and &&} are added by the sacred historian ; the latter twice. The
variation from the present Hebrew text is greater, but not so great as to affect the general im-
port of the passage. (Scott, Randolph.)
Tables of Quotations from
[Part I. Ch.
64,
Psal. H. 7.
qw^ evn : nn >:2
Thou art my Son, this day
have I begotten thee.
65. Isa. Iv. 3.
rcn sto rina aa:
Fsal.ii.7.
T/OT MOU i tru, 7w
Acts xiii. 33.
Tfos juou ei <rv 9 e*yw
Thou art my Son, this day Thou art my Son, this day
have I begotten thee. have I begotten thee.
Isa. iv. 3. Actsxiii. 34,
^_ r ^ - - . . A<r vfj.iv ra fata AaftS Ta
-Ta <5ena Aaw5 Ta nrta'Ta.
I will make an everlasting And I will make with you I will give you the sure
covenant with you, even the an everlasting covenant, the mercies of David.
Sture mercies of David. gracious promises to David,
which are faithful.
66*
Hab. i. 5.
itrim p
own
'laa in
Hab. i. 5.
ol Kora&povitrrai, KOI
are, /cat Savfj.affa.T6
^ayiff^tyr^ St-
em epyov eyta ^ftya^o^at ev rats
qfjiepats vpwv, 5 ov pi}
Behold ye, among the hea-
then, and regard, and wonder
marvellously ; for I will work
a work in your days, which ye
will not believe, though It be
told yon*
67.
Isa. xlix. 6,
Behold, ye despisers, and
view intently, and be amazed
at wonderful things, and va-
nish (or perish). For in your
days I am doing a work, which
ye will not believe, though one
tell you.
Isa, xlix. 6.
Acts xiii. 41.
ISere ol tearafypavrrrat, Kai
fravpaxfare, KOI tupavtffbfire'
6n epyov eya ep7nfbjLicei ef rots
7}jjLpais vfJMjf, epyov a? ov prj
iriGrevffTire, ecu/ ns eKStTJTTjrat
VfJUV.
Behold, ye despisers, and
wonder and perish; for I
work a work in your days,
a work which you .shall in no
wise believe, though a man
declare it unto you.
Acts xiii. 47.
ets <fc<a$ eQwaV) TefretKa (fe ets <p(i>s
rov eiyai ere ts tfeartipiav etas rov eiwxt tfe ets fftarripiav e&s
I will also give thee for a I have appointed thee for I have set thee to be a light
light to the Gentiles, that thou the light of the nations, that of the Gentiles, that thou
rnayest be my salvation unto thou mayest be for salvation shouldest be for salvation unto
the "ends of the earth. to the furthest parts of the the ends of the earth,
earth.
GS. Amos ix. 11,12.
Minn emi
Amosix, 11, 12.
' T?f jjfifpa Kii^j cwa-
Acts xv. 16, 17-
Mera raura avacrrpe^a?, /cai
KOL avoiKooofJLTjffca rt\v -ayeTrTw/cutav, Kai ra i
avnjs, icat TO tfKafJ.fj.eya OVTTJS aw>eo5o/jc'w,
vrijs avaffr7iff63 9 Kat avop&taffu avrTjv *Qvtas
Kai avoiKo^ofiticra aur^, KO&WS av ett^rvyf^ffiv of Kara\oaroi
at TifjLepat rov OICOVQS' *Qira$ rut? ew^pairtoi/ rov Kvpiov, Kai
eK^irrTiffuffiji ol KaraXoofot rtov iravrq ra e&vrj ^>* ovs en-t/ce-
av&ftUTrwV) Kai wo&ra ra c&fjj, ttXTjrott TO ovofa fis GIT* auras,
<>' ovs GiriKK\7iTcLi TO QVQfia \eyi Kvpios 6 isrouajf ravra
fiov eir* avrovs, heyti Kvptos &
t ravra.
l This quotation is the reading of the Alexandrine copy of the Septuagint, and is a literal
rendering of the Hebrew, merely omitting the pronoun "my g sedvation t instead of my salvo-
tttttb The Vatican MS. differs very much.
* This quotation, in general, seems to be taken from the Septuagint, but with several verbal
tamtions. The passage, however, varies more materially from the Hebrew, especially in the
clause, That the residue of men may seek after t)ie Lord; which, in the authorised English ver-
sicm from the Hebrew, is rendered, That they may possess the remnant of Edam, The Sep~
ta*aJH4 translators evidently read itnr (Y/DROSHU), not ici" ( YIftosHD ) and DIN (ADSII),
aKH t"M (***) $ and the quotation of it by the apostle or the evangelical historian, according
to tbat reading, glyes great sanction to it. (Scott*)
VI. Sect. I. J !] The Old Testament in the New,
223
In that day will I raise up
the tabernacle of David, that
is fallen ; and I will close up
the breaches thereof, and I
will raise up his ruins, and I
will build it as in the days of
old : That they may possess
the remnant of Edom, and of
all the heathen, which are
called by my name, saith the
LORD, that doeth this.
69. Exod. xxii. 27. (28. of
English version.)
Thou shaltnot ... curse the
ruler of thy people.
70.
Hab, ii.4,
In that day I will raise up
the tabernacle of David, which
hath fallen 5 I will rebuild
those parts of it which have
fallen to decay, and repair
what have been demolished.
I will indeed rebuild it as in
the days of old, that the rest
of mankind may seek [the
Lord], even all the nations
who arc called by my name,
saith the Lord, who doth all
these things.
Exod, xxii. 28.
Apxovra TOV \aou trov ov
KaKtas epety.
Thou shalt not speak evil
of the ruler of thy people.
'O
Hab. ii. 4.
Sitcatos e/c
After this I will return and
build again the tabernacle of
David, which is fallen down ;
and I will build up again the
ruins thereof, and I will set
it up : that the residue of men
might seek after the Lord, and
all the Gentiles upon whom
my name is called, saith the
Lord, who doeth all these
things.
Actsxxiii. 5.*
rov \ctov crov OVK
The just shall live by his But the just shall live by
faith. faith in me.
epe
Thou shalt not speak evil
of the ruler of thy people.
Rom. i. 17.
e O Be
fferai..
The just shall live by faith.
71.
Isa. lii. 5.
My name continually every
day is blasphemed.
72. Psal. li. 6. (4. of Eng-
lish version.)
; ^tDBiui rotn *pna pian pm^
That thou mightest be jus-
tified when thou speakcst, and
be clear when thou judgest.
73, Gen. xv. 6.
j rrpis 1? mwm rnm pum
And he believed in the
ioa, and he counted it to
him for righteousness.
74.
Psal. xiv. 1 3,
tnrP ; aiErntDtf
Isa. lii. 5. Rom. ii. 24.
At* v/j.as $ia irwros ro ovo- To yap ovopu rov Qeov &*
eQveo-t . VffLt \
On your account my name For the name of God is
is continually reviled among blasphemed among the Gen-
the nations. tiles through you.
Psal. li, 4.
"Qirus av SiKaLwBiqs w rots
Xoyois o-ov, Kai WKT/CT^S w TCD
Kpij/effdat ere.
So that thou mayest be jus.
tified in thy sayings, and over-
come when thou art judged.
Gen. xv. 6,
0W, KOLl \OyHT&7} OUTO) IS
Rom. iil. 4.
tw SiKcutoQiis v TOIS
Xoyois tfov, ttai W/CT^TTJS ev TW
That thou mightest be jus-
tified in thy sayings, and
mightest overcome when thou
art judged.
Roin. iv. 3.
"Eir&Tevtre 5e A-Spattfj, ra
Gew, Kat e\oyi<i&ii avrta ew
ID
IT
And Al)ram believed God,
and it was counted to him for
righteousness.
Psal. xiv. 13.
Ou/c ecrn -arouov xpritrroryra,
OVK eo~rijf lew evoy. l^vptos e/c .
rov oupavov $LtKv\l/& em TOVS
And Abraham, believed
God, and it was counted to
him for righteousness.
Rom. iii. 1012.
OVK com SiKCLtoSf ov$e els.
' OVK effrty a
ov. Havre*
1 In this quotation from the Septuagint, rov eov (of Godj, is substituted for jitov (my) ; and
the words ev rots e&yetfi (among the nations)) are added to the Hebrew In the Septuagint.
(Scott, Randolph.)
s This is taken from the Septuagint, which agrees with the Hebrew. The Greek trans-
lators render rrlDTfl (TJZKen) thou mayest be clear or pure, by viKTjffys, thou mayest overcome ; for,
" to be clear in judgment," or to be acquitted, is to overcome," (Randolph,. Scott.)
224?
Tables of Quotations from
[Part I. Ch.
nn
There is none that doeth
good. The LORD looked
down from heaven upon the
children of men; to see if
there were any that did under-
stand and seek God. They
are all gone aside; they are
all together become filthy:
there is none that doeth good,
no not one.
75. Psal. v. 10. (9. of Eng-
lish version.)
VLOVS TOW avBptinruv, TOV Loeiv ei
COT* ffVVUDV, t\ CK^TflTUV TOV
TlaVTCS ffK\lVaV, afta
OVK e<rri irou&v
OVK GffTIV kwS
svos.
There is none who doeth
good : no, not one. The
Lord looked down from hea-
ven on the children of men,
to see if any had understand-
ing, or were seeking God.
They had all gone aside, they
were altogether become vile.
There is none who doth good,
no, not one.
Psal. v. 9.
Ta<f>os avecaypevos 6 \apvyi-
OVK effTt iroieav
OVK effTiv Iws evoy. J
There is not one righteous ;
no, not one : there is none
that understandeth, there is
none that seeketh after God.
They are all gone out of the
way ; they are altogether be-
come unprofitable; there is
none that doeth good ; no,
not one.
Rom. iii. 13.
Tatpos aveuypevos 6 Aopiry|
avrw Tais y\faffo*ais aurtait avTtav Tats y\ta<rffats avrav
Their throat is an open se- Their throat is an open se- Their throat is an open se-
pulchre, they flatter with their pulchre; with their tongue pulchre; with their tongues
tongue. tf* e y nave practised deceit. they have used deceit.
76. Fsal. cxl. 4, (3. of Eng-
lish version.)
nnn aw non
Adders'
their lips.
poison is under
Psal. cxxxix. 3. (cxl. 3. of
English Bible.)
los affiri&uv vwo Ta X 6 ^ 7 ?
avrtw.
The poison of asps is under
their lips.
Rom. iii. IS.
los cuririSw viro TO. X 51 ^- 7 !
avrtajft
The poison of asps (a ve-
nomous species of serpent) is
under their lips.
77. Psal. x. 7, ^ Psal. x. 7.
ntnlQl N'^D irPD n^N Ov K apas TO O-TO/A avrou
yep.i Kai irtKpias,
His mouth is full of cursing His mouth is full of cursing
and deceit. and bitterness.
78. Isa. lix. 7>8.
"j&tr? v-! 1ST
t omtona ^asui
Isa. lix. 7, 8.
Ot $E TiroSes- avrtaif ewi
Their feet run to evil, and
they make haste to shed inno-
cent blood Wasting and
destruction ate in their paths.
The way of peace they know
not.
/C-
/cat TCZ-
ev Tats d5ow aureav.
Kai 650? Lpwns OVK oida.cn.
Their feet run to evil, they
are swift to shed blood.
Destruction and misery are in
their ways, and the way of
peace they do not know.
Rom. iii. 14.
TO ffTO{j.a. apas /cat wi/c-
Whose mouth is full of
cursing and bitterness.
Horn. iii. 15-17.
Oets oi To5es avrcav eRX*ou
atfta. ^WTpLp.fjLa Kai Ta\anro3-
pia ev TOLS 6Sois avTcav- Kat
eyvtaffav.
Their feet are swift to shed
blood. Destruction and mi-
sery are in their ways; and
the way of peace they have uot
known.
1 The former part of this quotation is an abridgment of the Septuagint, out agreeing in
meaning with the Hebrew. It is rather an abridgment. The latter part is exactly from the
Septuagint. The Hebrew word rendered in our version they are become Jilthy 3 and which
signifies to be loathsome or putrid, is in the Septuagint rendered qxpeiafrriffav, they are become
$mprftfable. This the apostle retains. It is o so forcible as the Hebrew, but is sufficient
tiff las argument ; and it caan'ot be supposed that many -af -J^-Christians at Rome had any
f^er Scriptures except the Septuagint. ( Scott. )
otation agrees with the Septuagint, which also agrees with the Hebrew, excepting
sek translators have rendered mmn (MZ'RMUTH;, deceit, by irtKpias, bitterness.
Randolph and Mr. S<W catijejcture that they read rrmD
VL Sect, I. I.] The Old Testament in the New.
225
79. Psal. xxxvi, 2, (1. of
English version.)
Psal. xsxv. 1. ( xxxvi. 1. of
English Bible.)
Qvic effrt $oos eov aney-
avri rcav o<p&a\fj.(av avrov,
no fear of God be- There is no fear of God be- There is no fear of God be-
fore his eyes, fore his eyes. fore their eyes.
Bom. iii. 18.
Owe effrt <poos 0eou wrey-
80. Psal. xxxii. 1, 2.
jnton 'ins i^s^vs:
J12 V? mrp aw N"?
Blessed is he whose trans-
gression is forgiven, whose sin
Is covered.
Blessed is the man unto
v.hom the Lord impuleth not
iniquity.
Psal. xxxii. 1, 2. Horn. iv. 7, S.
at ajj.a.pria.1. Mcstfopios avrip at apaprLar Ma/capw avijp
&) ov py Ao^tiTTjTai Kvpius & ov fJLTj XoyiffTjrai Kvpios
Happy re they, \ihose ini-
quities are forgiven, and whose
Blessed are they, \vhose sins
are forgiven, and whose ini-
sins are covered, Happy is quilies are covered^
81.
Gen. svii. 5.
t -ynn: nna
the man, to whom (to whose
account) the Lord will not
impute (or charge) sin.
Gen. xvri. 5.
Uarepa. woAAw2/ eQvwv re-
A father of many nations
foave I made thee.
32. Gen. xv. 5.
So shall thy seed be.
83. Psal. sliv. 22.
I have made thee the father
of many nations.
Gen. xv. 5.
Ovreas etfrai TO tnrepjuci ffov.
So shall thy seed be.
Psal. xliv, 22.
'Ort eveica crov
Blessed is the man to whom
the Lord will not impute sin.
Rom. iv. 17.
Uarspa isroAAo-v eQyuv re~
BeiKO. <re.
A father of many nations
have I made thee.
Rom, iv. 18.
Ovrtas effraL TO
So shall thy seed be
Rom. viii. 36.
'On sveKa tfou &ava
<ws vrpogara L T ,.,_.
For thy sake we are killed For, for thy sake we are For thy sake we are killed
all the day long; we are killed all the daylong, and all the day long j
counted as faheep for the accounted as sheep for the We are accounted as sheep
slaughter. slaughter. for the slaughter.
84. Gen. xxi. 12
: 3m N
Gen. xxi. 12.
"Or* ev IffatiK
Rom. is 7.
' ev laraaK
(701 lT7rtpjM.W. Ul/fc u n CJJJLH*.
For in Isaac, shall thy seed For in Isaac sball thy seed But, in Isaac shall thy seed
foe called. be called. be called.
85. Gen. xviii. 10.
-mm rrn DSD Tte
-
Rom. ix. 9.
Kara rov Kaipov rovrov
*
At this time will I come,
Gen, xviii. 10.
"E.TsravaffrpedHtfV 7|to Trpos ere
t Kara, rov KUipov rovrov eis upas,
' ' KCLL l|ei vlov Sappa f] ywrj ffov.
I will certainly return to I will return to thee about --
thee according to the time of this time twelvemonth ; and and Sara shall have a son.
life ; and lo, Sarah thy wife Sarah, thy wife, shall have a
shall have a son. son.
i St Paul here seems to have made use of some other translation, different from any we
now have - it agrees in sense both with the Septuagint and the Hebrew. The most remark-
able difference from the Hebrew is, that Trrr TO is rendered Kara rov Kaipov rovroy. They
seem to have read it mtr, as the same thing is expressed Gen. xvu. 21. The Samanton
agrees with the Hebrew. The Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic versions agree with the Septua-
g?n,t. However, the sense of the prophecy, both ways, is much the same, that Sarah sh joiua
have a son at the time of life, or at the return of time nest year. (Dr. Randolph on tlie
Quotations, p. 36.) ^
VOL* II. 2
Tables of Quotations from
[Part I. Ch.
S6, Gen. xxv, 20.
The elder shall serve the
younger.
Gen. xxv. 23.
Kai 6 fj.eifav SovXevtrei
Rom. is. 12.
ffovi.
And the elder shall serve The elder shall serve the
the younger. younger.
Mai. i. 2, 3.
Mai. i. >, 3. Mai. i. 2, 3. Rom. ix. 13,
"**!? * r*!* * 2j?**~ PJ$ iiTNl Kai Tj'y^ 71 " 3 ? "^ TGV ICMC&!, Toy Tof la/eft!^
s \"w:sj KaiHvau*
I loved Jacob, and I hated Yet I loved Jacob, and Jacob have I loved, but
Esau hated Esau, Esau have I hated.
SS. Exod. sxxiii. 19.
I will be gracious to whom
I will be gracious, and I will
show mercy on whom I will
show mercy.
Exod. is. 36.
PT HN-! iura
89.
For this cause have I raised
thee up, for to show in thee
my power, and that my name
may be declared throughout
all the earth.
Hos, ii. 25.
90.
I will have mercy upon her
that had not obtained mercy,
and I will say to thsm which
were not ray people, Thou ait
my people,
91. Hos, ii. I, (i. 10. of
English version.)
fittV "i$*r"Tc?N aij^aa rrm
And it shall come to pass,
thai in the place where it was
92. Isa. x. 22, 23
rrri ?ic' ^-or HTT
pirt JV73 11 ntji i
Exod. xxsiii. 19.
Kai eheypw bv av eAew, Kai
oiKTe^jtrcu ov av cwcrejpaj.
I will have mercy on whom
I please to have mercy ; find
Rom ix. 15.
a) QV av otitreipu.
I will have mercy on whom
I will have mercy, and I will
have companion on have compassion" on whom I
whomsoever I compassionate, will hr.ve compassion.
. ix. 16.
TQUTQV
6i]s, tva
Rom. is. 17,
EfS QVTQ TOVTO
TO QVGU.O, JUOU CP
Bat thou hast been pre-
served for this purpose, that
by thee I might display my
power, and that my name may
be celebrated throughout all
the earth.
Hos.ii. 3.
VU,\i.iV fcOV, Kai OTT&S
ro QvojJia pov ev 'Graff 7} TTj 777.
For this same purpose have
I raised thee up, that I might
show my power in thee, and
that ray name might be de-
clared throughout all the earth.
Rom, ix. S5.
\6(TG0 Toy ov Xaoy
Xaov fJLov Kai Tr t v OVK
sriji'.eZ'iys', KSLI eptii r&? ov \ata
fAQVy AfitCS fJLJV 4 G"b.
And I nil I lovs her who I will cull them my people,
was not beloved ; and to them which wt>ro not my people ;
who were not my people, I and her.beloved which was not
will say, Thou art my people, beloved.
Hos. i. 10.
etTTOZ, J/ Ttf T07TW, o5
avroiSf Ov \aos JJIQV
VJJ.GIS, KX7j07/0"OJTat Kai avTOL
vtoi Beou gtavros.
But it sltall come to pass
that, in the place where it was
Rom. ix. 26.
Kai z&Tai, ev TOS TOTHW ou
p^7J07J Q.UTOIS, Ov \aOS UQU
peis, *Kei K\i)e7jffovrai vtoi
And it shall come to pass,
tJuit in the place where it
" Yc are not my people," was said unto them, Ye a
living Gcd.
Isa. x. 22, 23.
K'at
Rom. ix. 2*7, 2S.
TJ 6 apt^fios rcov vluv,
'- Ao7oy yap trwrehai/ Kai <rvv~
Kvpios -woujtrei ffwreTf^Tj^vov 'aroirjtyei Kvpios
1 Hiis quotation a,
They differ in sev
V and sti11 more n w e &
from the Hebrew, but the general sense is the same. The
VI. Sect. I. $ 1.] The Old Testament in the New.
227
For though thy people Israel
be as the sand of the sea, yet
a remnant of them shall re.
turn : the consumption de-
creed shall overflow with right-
eousness. For the LOUD GOD
of Hosts shall make a con-
sumption, even determined in
the midst of all the land.
Though the people of Israel
be as the sand of the sea, a
remnant of them shall be saved.
He is closing an account, and
making a deduction with sav-
ing goodness. Because with
the whole land the Lord will
make a reckoning from which
a deduction hath been made.
Though the number of the
children of Israel be as the
sand of- the sea, a remnant
shall be saved : for he will
finish the work, and cut it
short in righteousness: be-
cause a short work will the
Lord make upon the eartb.
93. Isa. i. 9. Isa. i, 9
i jj j-nrv i^V 1 ? Kcti ei /AT} Kupfos 2aga&0 67-
80/ia cay eyevriQyfjLev, KO.I &$
TofAOppCL OV &p.3lta8rilJ.ir.
Had not the Lord of Hosts
had left us a very small rem- left us a seed, we should have
nant, we should have been as been as Sodom, and made like
Except the LOUD of Hosts
Sodom, and we should have
been like unto Gomorrah.
Gomorrah.
Horn. ix. 29.
i jjLT) Ku/nos 2cta0 ejKare-
>, KGLI &s
Except the Lord of Sabaoth
?iad left us a seed, we had been
as Sodoma, and been made like
unto Gomorrha.
Isa. viii. 14.
KOI
Isa. viii. 14.
v% &$ \t8owpoffKOfjL~
Horn. is. S3.
5 Kat Trerpw O-K
/cat was 5 TTKTTGV&V
94.
He shall be for a stone And ye shall not run against Behold i lay in Sion a
of stumbling, and a rock of a stumbling stone, nor as un- stumbling stone, and rock of
offence to both the houses of der a fulling rock. offence ; and whosoever be-
Israeli lieveih on him shall not be
ashamed.
See also Rom. x. II., and
1 Pet. ii. G, 7.
95. Isa. xxviii. 16.
Isa, xxviii- 16.
ISou, 703 /ia^.A.w eiy ra
Behold I lay in Zion for a
foundation a stone, a tried
stone, a precious corner-stone,
a sure foundation : he that be-
lieveth shall not make haste.
(Be confounded, J?;>. Lowth.}
fj.ov, eis r
6 TTLffrevav on \*x\ no,
Behold, I lay for the found-
ation of Sion a stone of ines-
timable worth a chosen pre-
cious corner-stone for the
foundations of it : and he who
believeth shall not be ashamed.
prophet foretells a great destruction of the children of Israel, but not a total one j a remnant
should return and be saved : the apostle very aptly applies this to the times of the Gospel, when
some few of the Jews believed, and were saved, and a signal destruction came upon the rest.
It is worthy of observation, that the expressions here in Isaiah are the hame as we find in
Dan. ix. where the destruction of Jerusalem is foretold. See this prophecy antl the appli-
cation of it well explained by Bishop Newton, Dissertations on the Prophecies, vol. ii. p..
(Dr, Randolph on the Quotations, p. 36.)
1 The quotation in Rom. ix. 33. is taken from two places in the prophecy of Isaiah, St.
Paul, in order to prove that the Jews in general should be cast off, and only those among
them who believed should be saved, refers to two passages in the prophet Isaiah, of which he
quotes such parts as were sufficient to prove his point. The first citation agrees with the
Hebrew. The Septuagint (as will be seen in a subsequent page) differs widely. The other
citation agrees nearly with the Septuagint ; it differs from the Hebrew only in reading with
the Septuagint Kccrato'xwfrri<re'r<zi t shall be ashamed, which is also the reading of the Arabic
version. They seem to have read in the original Wtf I'-MHISH) instead of r*rp .YWCHISH).
(Dr. Randolph on Quotations, p. 36.) The Quotation in Rom, x. IS. agrees with the latter
clause of Isa, xxviii. 16. with the whole of which also agrees the quotation in 1 Pet. ii. 6.
Q 2
228
Tables of Quotations from
[Part L Ch.
96. Lev, xvh'i. 5,
Lev, xviii. 5. Rom. x. 5.
DH1 fafferai ev aurots* fafferai ev UVTOLS,
Judgments which if a Which, if a man do, he shall The man which doeth those
man do, he shall live in them, live thereby. things shall live by them.
97. Deut xxx. 12 14.
na'ccfr
W31 rrns ns
ION? win
TEI
"inn
It is not in heaven, that
thou shouldest say, Who shall
go up for us to heaven, and
bring it unto us, that we may
hear it and do it ? Neither is
it beyond the sea, that thou
shouldest say, Who shall go
over the sea for us, that we
may hear it and do it? But
the word is very nigh unto
thee, in thy mouth and in thy
heart.
Deut. xxx, 1214.
Ow ev T(>) ovpava avu
\ey(ov, Tis oyaftifferai -ftju
TQV ovpavov, Kai \i$ertu
' } Kai atcovcravres
\affG"r)s effTif Aeycuv, Tis SiaTre
pao-ei 'r\\L\v ets TO Trepav TTJ
KCLI axavffrr,? T^JLLV croiijo'^ au-
^trrt TO
ffTO,UO,Tl (TQV,
C-QV, Kai ev
ov
<r<poSpa ev TO
tiOLl SV TT) KCLpdlO.
TOLLS X*P fft ffov
It is not ill heaven above,
that thou shouldest say, Who
will ascend for us into heaven,
and bring it to us, that we
may hear and do it ? Nor is
it beyond the sea, that thou
shouldest say, Who will cross
the sea for us, and bring it to
us, and let us hear it, and we
mill do it ? The word is very
near thee, in thy mouth and in
thy heart, and in thy hand.
Rom. x. 6 S.
MT] eiTTTjs 6V TTJ /capita cfov
Tis avaSycfGTaL eis TQV ovpavov-
(TOUT' ecrrt, XpiffTOv itaTaya-
TT\V agvffcrov ; (TOUT' ecri Xpt-
(rrov GK veKpcav avayaysiv)
"Esyyvs trou TO fty/Aa ecrrii/, ev TO?
(TTOjuaTt <7ou, Ka: er T-J; Kapfiia
crou. 1
Say not in thine heart, Who
shall ascend into heaven ?
(that is, to bring down Christ
from above.) Or, who shall
descend into the deep ? (that
is, to bring up Christ again
from the dead. )....., The word
is nigh thee, even in thy mouth
and in thy heart.
98.
Isa. lii. 7.
How beautiful upon the
mountains are the feet of him
that bringeth good tidings,
that publisheth peace ; that
bringeth good tidings of good!
99. Psal. six. 5. (4, of
English version.)
hn nspai oip sa* pn-^a
Isa. lii. 7.
e Hs &pa 7Ti TUV
icafies way y eAi^bjUe^
ftpyviis, us
aya&a..
Like beauty on the moun-
tains, like the feet of one
proclaiming peace, like one
proclaiming glad tidings.
Psal. six. 4.
Eis iraffav TV\V yyv
& <f>6oyyos avrwv, K.CLI sis ra
irepara TTJS oiKovfievris TO, ^TJ*
Rom.
'As wpaioi
15.
s TCOV evay-
TUV eucvy-
How beautiful are the feet
of them that preach the Gos-
pel of Peace, and bring glad
tidings of good things !
Rom. x. IS.
6 tpBoyyos avrtavj K&I
isrepaTa TTJS OIKOVJJLWTJS TO,
1 The apostle here, with some little alteration, accommodates what Moses says in the book
of Deuteronomy to his present purpose : Moses there, speaking of the covenant made with
the children of Israel, expresses the easiness of that covenant, by proverbial phrases taken
from the transactions of God with the children of Israel : Who (says he) shall go up for us
into Heaven, fyc. alluding to the delivery of the law from. Heaven U r ho shall go over the
seafar ws, ^j-c. alluding to the passage of the Israelites over the Red Sea: St, Paulraakes use
of the like phrases, only altering the latter so as to allude to the descent of Christ into the
grave ; This is a most beautiful allusion ; and the latter part, in which the main stress of the
argument lies, agrees both with the Septuagint and with the Hebrew, omitting only a word
Q*,two, (Dr. Randolph on the Quotations, p. 37.)
a This quotation agrees verbatim with the Septuagint ; and it agrees with the Hebrew,
excepting that instead of Dip (HUM), a Kne or direction, both the apostle and the Septuagint
VI. Sect, L J 10 The Old Testament in the Nev
229
Their lino (more correctly,
sound) is gone out through all
the earth, aurl their words to
the end of the world.
To every land their sound
is gone forth, and their doc-
trines to the limits of the
world.
Their sound went into all
the earth, and their words unto
the ends of the world,
100, Deut. xxxii. 21.
I will move them to jea-
lousy with iliQ^e which are not
a people ; I will provoke them
to anger by a foolish nation.
Deut xxxii. 21 .
s OVK
awovs
) avrovs.
I will provoke them by what
is not a nation.
By a foolish nation will I
vex them.
Rom. x, J9.
OVK eByet) STTI e6vet
ifapopyua y/ias.
I will provoke you to jea-
lousy by them that are no
people, and by a foolish na-
tion will I anger you.
101. Isa, Ixv. 1, 2.
\iN2'a: i?c Ni:: 'rrcYi:
73 v "ntj^B 'rrpa M:?
I am sought of them that
asked not/ur me ; I am found
of Mew that sought me not.
1 liave spread out ray
hands all the day long unto a
rebellious people.
Isa. Ixv. 1, 2.
rots e,ue
fJ.fi fvepcorooffw, fvpe&qv rats
ras x
trpos \aoy
I became manifest to them
who inquired not for me; I
was found by them u ho sought
me not. - I stretched out
my hands all the day long to
a disobedient and gainsaying
people.
Rom. x. 20, 21.
rots e,ae py ijroti-
, e/j.$av7]s ryevojuTSi/ rots c.o*
7Fp(aT(OlTl - 'OKfJV TljV
irpos XQLQV
aat
I was found of them that
sought me not ; I was made
manifest unto them that asked
not after me. All daylong
I have stretched forth my hands
unto a disobedient and gain-
saying people.
102. 1 Kings six. 14.
The children of Israel have
...... thrown down thine altars,
and slain thy prophets with the
sword : and I even I only am
left: and they seek my life
to take it away.
1 Kings xis. 14.
Ta frvGLaffrfipLa ffov Kti&ei-
Xaz/, KO.I rovs tsrpo^ijTas GOV a^-
GKTGLV&V SV pOIJL(bCtLCt* KCLL U*nTO
eyu i
' pov 1
They have demolished thy
altars, and slain thy prophets
with the sword ; and 1 only
am. left, and they seek my life
to take it.
Rom. xi. 3.
rovs
KM. ra
f KW, fqrowri rip
Lord, they have killed thy
prophets, and digged down
thine altars; and I am left
alone, and they seek nay life.
103. 1 Kings xix. IS.
I have left 77^5 seven thou-
sand in Israel, all the knees
which have not bowed unto
Baal, and every mouth which
hath not kissed him.
1 Kings sis. 1 8.
Kcu Karatetfyeis ev la-paf}\
eirra %i\ia5as avSptav, vravra
yovara a OVK uKXaffav yovu TG>
BaaA.
And thou slialt leave in Is-
rael seven thousand men, even
all the knees which have not
bowed to Baal.
Rom. si. 4.
XL\IOVS avfyas, olrurcs QVK
eKafia$tav yovv rri BaaA.
I have reserved to myself
seven thousand men who have
not bowed the knee to ike
image of Haa}.
translators seem to have read D:1p (QULCM), Qboyyos, a sound; Which last is doubtless the
true reading, as it agrees best with the context, and is supported by the Chaldee Paraphrase,
the Syriac, Arabic, and Vulgate Latin Versions, and by Jerome. Syramachus, in his Greek
translation, renders the Hebrew by w$, sound. (Dr. Randolph on the Quotations, p. 37.)
Prof. N. M, Berlin, Psalmi, ex" Recensione Teitus Hebraci et Versionum Autiquarum,
Latine Versi, p. 31. (Upsali, 1805.)
i This quotation agrees in sense both wiU) the Septuagint and the Hebrew, but seems to be
taken from a different translation. The words of the original are transposed, and somewhat
abridged. (Dr. Randolph.) a
S *
230
Tables of Quotations from
[Part I. Ch.
104. Isa. xxix 10. (and see
Isa. vi. 9. Ezek. xii. 2. )
rm mrp ts^r* inr^
Isa. sxix. 10. (and see Isa.
vi. 9. Ezek, xii. 2.)
'On 'areiroriKGV iifJLas Kvpios
i Karavvj-etas, K&I KO.JJ.-
i rovs o^BaXpovs avrcay.
Rom, xi. 8.
E5<w/cej/ avrois 6 eos irvev-
a Karavvfaccs, o<p6a.\u.ov$ rov
-rj jSAGiretv, /cat (am rov JITJ
The Lord hath poured out For the Lord hath drenched God hath given them the
upon you the spirit of deep you with the spirit of stupe- spirit of slumber, eyes that
sleep, and hath closed your faction, and will close up the they should not see, and ears
eyes. eyes of them. that they should not hear.
105. Psal. Ixix. 23, 24. (22,
23. of English version.)
pan arranai nifcoo
Let their table become a
snare before them: and that,
which should have been for their
welfare, let it become a trap.
Let their eyes be darkened
that they see not ; and make
their loins continually to
shake.
ts avra'rruBoo'w, KCLI is <ncav- is ^
SaAov.
Psal. Ixix. 22, 23. Rom. xi. 9, 10.
rpairefr avrcav T^v^-nru % rpcmefa
avrosv eis wayida, /cat LS Tra^iSa, KO.L ets Sypav, /cat
I CCLVQCL\OV) KOLt SIS Ctl/TKTTO"
avrois. I$/coTtcr&rjTccJO-ay
rov ij.1] ^AeTretj/, ol o^aAjUoi auruv rov ^ITJ ySAe-
K&L rov vtarov avrcay 5ta Karros TTGIV, Kai rov vcorov avrw 5ta
Let their table before them
become a snare, and a recom-
pence, and a stumbling block.
Let their eyes be darkened,
that they may not see, and bow
down, their neck continually.
Let their table be made a
snare and a trap, and a stum-
bling block, and a recompence
unto them. Let their eyes be
darkened that they may not
see, and bow down their back
alway.
Isa. lix. 20, 21. (and
see Isa. xxvii. 9.)
And the Redeemer shall
come to Sion, and unto them
that turn from transgression,
saith the LORD. As for me,
this is my covenant with them,
saith the LORD.
Isa. lix. 20, 21. (and see Isa.
xxvii, 9.)
e-jrocrrpe-^et atre^eta
KOI avrr] avrois
For the sake of Sion, the
Deliverer will come, and turn
away ungodliness from Jacob.
And this shall be my covenant
with them.
Rom. xi. 26, 27.
et e/c ^LOV o
Kai avrit] avrois 7) Tsrap' e/uoy
orav GtcbeActUiKi ras
And the Redeemer shall
come to Sion, and unto them
that turn from transgression,
saith the LORD. As for me,
this is my covenant with them
saitb the LOUD.
107. DeuU xxxii. 35.
To me betongetk vengeance
and recompence.
Deut. xxxii, 35.
e/e5tT3(TecB? oirra-
In the day of vengeance I
ill requite,
Rom. xii. 19. (and see Heb.
x. SO.)
Ejuoi eKStKTjtfts- ryw cw/ro-
TraSoxrco, A7et Kuptos.
Vengeances mine (literally
to me belongeth vengeance) ;
I will repay, saith the Lord.
I- Sect. I. I.] The Old Testament in the New.
231
108. Prov. xxv. 21, 22.
nrn intotfn "]: ISTDN
c^ru >D : D'o irrpen N'OS-DNI
tinn rw
Prov. xxv: 21, 22.
Eay Trewa, 6 e%0pos- troy, ij/o>-
jLttfe CSUTW ecsv Si^ct, irorife
avrov* TO-JTJ 70/3 Trozap av-
9pcu:as irvpos ffmpeucfeis CTTL TI\V
K^a\ijy avrov.
If thine enemy hunger, feed
him ; if he be thirsty, give him
drink ; for by doing thus, thou
\vilt heap coals of fire upon his
head.
109. Isa. xlv. 23.
m rrpns 'EQ NS WISH
"i^i iron 1 'r^ airy
I have sworn by myself;
the word is gone out of my
mouth in righteousness, and
shall not return, that unto me
every knee shall bow, every
tongue shall swear*
110. Psal. Ixix. 10. (9. of
English version.)
*}$ i*?3: "pB"nn maim
KT'
a. slv, 20.
urov c^vvta, et fATj
e\ev(fra.i SK rov tjrojj.aros
fj.ov 5jcaio(Tw**7, o! Xojoi JJLOV
OVK a*xcGrpa.<p'i?)a'QVTG.i t un efJLUi
KOL'Ji^Gl 7TG2/ } OW f Kdl O^lTCLl
waffa 'yXcaxrcra, TQV eov.
By myself I swear .'right-
eousness shall proceed from
my mouth ; my words shall
not be leversed), that to me
every knee s'mll bow, and
every tongue shall swear with
respect to God.
Psal. Ixix. 9.
Oi
<Te eTTSTrsffoy ew
The reproaches of them that On me have fallen the re-
Horn. xii. 20.
Ea^ ovv ireiva b ex&pos trov,
etVTOV CLV 5i^Q, TTOTlfe
avrov TOVTO yap aroiwv a,v-
Bpaicas i&vpos ffcapevo'ets eTri
rifjv Ke(f>ot\r)j' KVTOV.
Therefore, if thine enemy
hunger, feed him j if he thirst,
give him drink ; for in so
doing, thou shalt heap coals
of tire on his head.
Za?
Rom. xiv. 11.
y&, \eysL l\vpios, &rt
way yovv, icai ura-
ffa yXtaffffa eo(JU}\oyjjffGTai raj
jis I live, saith the Lord,
every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess
to God.
OI
row a" eirsireffov ew' e/ie.
The reproaches of them that
reproached thee, are fallen on proaches of them that re- reproached thee, fell on me.
111. Psal. xviii, 50. (49. of
English verbion.)
proached. thee.
Psal, xviii. 49.
Ata TOVTO eojj.o\oyr}(ro(J.ai
ffoi / eBveffi, K.vpte t Kat Tea ovo- ffoi ev
Rom. xv. 9.
Aia TOVTO
Therefore will I give thanks For this cause I will praise For this cause will I con-
un to thee, O Lord, among the thee, O Lord, among the na- fess to thee among the Gen-
heathen, and sing praises unto tions, ; and sing melodiously tiles, and sing unto thy name,
thy name. unto thy name.
112. Deut. xxxii. 42. (43. of
English verbion.)
Deut, xxxii. 43.
Rom. xv. 10.
Eu<ppay07)Te C&TJ /ieret rou
Xoou aurou. 2
1 This does not exactly agree either with the Septuagint or with the Hebrew. Instead of
KC*T' euauToy op,vwo, By myself I su-ear, the apostle gives us an equivalent expression often
used in Scripture, Zw eyu, As I live. Tlic rest of the citation agrees exactly with the Alex-
andrine copy of the Septuagint, which translates rawi by ^ofM?^ayeerau, shall confess^ _ The
Vatican translates it more literally, o/ieweu, shall swear ; but both of them agree in joining
mrrn, in the following verse, with jTfflb, in this, leaving out *]N and ^, and to this the Arabic
version agrees. (Dr. Randolph on the Quotations, p. 38.) ,
2 This is an exact quotation from the Septuagmt. The clause which we have given occurs
in the middle of the verse ; which some writers not having observed, they have supposed that
the Septuagmt is not quoted. The preceding words of this verse in the Septuagmt,
Eutyavfr? ovpavoi apa aurw,
K.ai'irpo(rKvv7)ffaT(o(rav awa iraLvres ayyehoi eow.
Rejoice, O heavens, with him,
And let all the angels of God worship him
are not in the Hebrew 5 and the clause, quoted from the Septuagmt, evidently gives the
e ^
Tables of Quotations from
113. Psal. cxvii. 1.
rk mrp-nw Mn
ra
232
Hetolce, O ye nations, with Rejoice, O nations, with his
his people. P e P lc -
Psal. CKvii. !.
Awen-e TOV Kvptov
eOvy, eTratvsffCLre awr
oi \aoi.
Praise the Lord all ye na- Praise the Lord, all ye na-
tions : praise him all ye peo- tions.
pl e> Praise him, all ye peoples.
114. Isa, xi. 10. Isa. si, 10.
BI tnt) Ninrr cva i"pm Eorai ev TTJ V 6 P
D^J V? D'nr D3b 1Q1? "<^ P's a TOU leo'o'a 1 ) Ka:
1WT
[Part I. Ch,
Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with
his people.
Rom. xv. 1 1.
Aivere rov Hvpiov irayra. TO,
efo'Tj, KOLI eiratveffare avrov
tsravres oi \aoi,
Praise the Lord, all ye Gen-
tiles ; and laud him, all yc
people.
Rom, xv. 12.
EOTCU
And in that day there shall There shall be in that day There shall be a root of
be a root of Jesse, which shall the root of Jesse, even he who Jesse, and he that shall rise to
be for an ensign of the people; riseth up to rule nations; in reign over the Gentiles; in
to it shall the Gentiles seek,
315. Isa lii. 15.
INI en 5 ? neu'N 1 ? TON
him nations will put their him shall the Gentiles trust,
trust.
That, which had not been
told them, shall they see, and
that which they had not heard,
shall they con&ider.
116. Isa. sxix. 14.
Isa. lii. 1 5.
*On ots OVK avyyyeK'n
avrou, o-^/ovTat, KM oi O
icoocrt, ffvvi]ffov<Ti.
Because they, to whom no
publication was made con-
cerning him, shall see ; and
they, who had not heard, will
understand.
Isa. xxix. 14.
Ke* cwroA&J TI\V cro&LCLV TOJV
KO.L TT\V ffwsffiv rcav
isrcpt av-
KO.I oi OVK CUCYI-
The wisdom of their wise
men shall perish, and the un-
derstanding of their prudent
men shall be hid.
117.
Isa. Isiv. 3. (4. of
English version,)
And I will destroy the wis-
dom of the wise, and will hide
the understanding of the pru-
dent.
Tsa. Ixiv. 4.
ATTO TOV aivo$ OVK r,Kovffa-
juw, ou&e ol o<p6a\p.oi rjfJL&v
i5ov Qeov, ^s\f\v ffov, KOLI TO,
spya GQV, a 7ronfio~eis TQIS vwo-
Rom. xv. 21.
Qis OVK
TQV, o^ov
Koaffi) ffvvrjcrovffi.
To whom he was not spoken
of, they shall see; and they
that have not heard shall un-
derstand.
1 Cor. i. 19.
AiroAw TI\V (To<piav ruv cro-
<pwv, KCLL T?jf (Tvyeffiv T<av ffv-
vercav o^eTTjcra?.
I will destroy the wisdom
of the wise, and will bring to
nothing the understanding of
the prudent.
For since the beginning of
the world, men have not heard
nor perceived by the ear, nei-
ther hath the eye seen, O God,
besides tliee, what lie hath pre-
pared for him that naitetli for
him.
Never have we heard, nor
have our eyes seen a God, be-
sides thee, nor works such as
thine, which ihou wilt do for
them who wait for mercy.
1 Cor. ii. 9.
'A o<pdttX[ios OVK
ovs OVK TjKoutre, KCU <-7ri
avQpwirov OVK aveS
o~ev o eos rois ayairtaffiv av-
TOJ/. !
Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, nor have entered into
the heart of man, the things
which God hath prepared for
them that love him.
genuine meaning of the Hebrew, though, in the abrupt language of poetry, the preposition
signifying with is omitted. (Scott.)
1 This is a most difficult passage : It does not agree either with the Hebrew, or the Sep-
tuagint, or any other translation now extant : nor is it possible either to make sense of the
Hebrew, or to reconcile the old versions, either with the Hebrew or with one another. In the
apostle's citation the sense is easy and consistent, and agreeable to the context in the prophet.
Ho sense can be made of the Hebrew, but by a very forced construction. Some critics have
imagined that the quotation was taken from some apocryphal book : but it is so near to the
Htbrew here, both in sense nnd words, that we cannot suppose it to be taken from any other
passage. Nor in Ihib case would the apostle (it is presumed) have introduced it with as it
VI. Sect. !.!.] Tlie Old Testament in tlie New. . 233
118. Isa.,1.13. Irl.l8. 1 Cor. ii. 16. ^See also Rom.
tPNl miT mvnN piVn Tfff ^ vo} yow *-wpwj c Tw 7ap e^-pw j>0w Kvpiov t
jl^TI, 1flsr Ti * aurou ffvpSovJdos eyevero, 6s ffvpeigaffei avrov,
6s ffvfiia auToy
Who hath directed the spirit Who hath known the mind For who hath known the
of the LORD, or ferng his coun- of the Lord? and who hath mind of the Lord, that he may
seller, hath taught him? been of his counsel to teach instruct him?
him?
119. Job v, 13. Job v. 13. 1 Cor. iii. 19.
adsoDS GI> o 5pao"0"0jU6i'Qs TQVS ffofyovs
ev Tf] "GPQ.vovpyta, airrtiw.
He taketh the wise in their Who entanglcth the wise in He taketh the wise in their
own craftiness. their wisdom. own craftiness.
120. Psal. xciv. 11. Psal, xciv. 11. 1 Cor. iii, 20.
"D DIN rnaiJrra 5?T mrp Kvpios yw&ffKei TOVS StaAo- Kvpios yu/uffKct TOVS StaAo-
jj.aTa.toi, /iaraio:. ^
The LORD knoweth the The Lord knoweth the The Loid knoweth the
thoughts of men, that they thoughts of men, that they are thoughts of the wise, that they
are vanity. vain. are vain.
121. Deut. xxv. 4. Deut. xxv. 4. 1 Cor. ix. 9.
Thou slult not muzzle tlie Thou ^ shall not muzzle an Thou shalt not muzzle the
ox when he ticadeth out the ox treacling out corn. mouth of the ox that treadeth
corn, out tQ e corn.
122. Exod. xxxii. C. Exod, xxxii. 6. 1 Cor, x. 7.
iniDl bDN 1 ? D5?n a"0*1 KK GKQBIG'SV 6 \aos rfiayew JZKaOiffev b \aos
KO.I 7TlW 9 K9U
The people sat down to eat And the people sat down to The people sat down to eat
and to drink, and rose up to eat and drink, and rose up to and drink, and rose up to
play. P 13 ?' Play.
123. Deut. xxxii. 17. Deut. xxxii. 17. I Cor. x. 20.
0607, fJLQVLOLS &VfLj K.0,1 OU 60). -
They sacrificed to devils, They sacrificed to demons, But tlie things which the
not to God. and not to God. Gentiles sacrifice, they sacri-
fice to devils and not to God,
124. Psal. xxiv. 1. P&al . xxiv. 1 . 1 Coivx. 26.
n^lboi yWH mir'; Toy Kuptov TJ yn, /ecu TO TTXTJ- Tow yap Kupiou rj yr), nai TO
pcy/ia avTfjs. ir\7)p(ofjia CLVTTIS.
The earth is the Lord's, The earth is the Lord's, and For the earth is the Lord's,
. and the fulness thereof. the fulness thereof. and the fulness thereof.
is written. It is more reasonable to suppose that the Hebrew text has been here greatly cor-
rupted, and that the apostle took his citation from some more correct copy. Sec BUhop Lowth's
Note on Isa. Ixiv.4.,and Dr. Kcnnicott's Dissertatio Generatis, 84. 87. (Dr. Randolph
on the Quotations, p. 39.) .
i This quotation agrees both with the Septuagint and with the Hebrew ; except that it
substitutes tfoQw, of the wise, for av&ptairw, of men, which however does not alter the sense.
(Dr. Randolph.) .
^ This does not appear to be any citation at all, though it agrees nearly both with the bep-
tuagint and Hebrew of Deut. xxxii, 37. (Ibid,)
of Quotations from
Isa. xxviii. IT, 12.
<rt]s srepas 6r
TCI) \aoj rovroo real owe
For with stammering lips
and another tongue will he
speak to his people : let
they would not hoar.
126. Psal, viii. 6.
On account of the mockery
of ffiezVlips, because they will
speak to this people with a
strange tongue yet they
wou'd not hear.
Psal. viii. 6.
Thou hast put all things
under his feet.
127. Isa. xxii. 13.
Let us eat and drink, for
to-morrow we die.
123. Gen. ii. 7.
: n*n XCDD^ man m
Han became a living soul.
TfiiV TTOS&JV OUTOU.
Thou hast put all things
und.T his feet,
Isa. xxii. 10.
tei'* avpiov
jap a.TTodvTjiTKOfjt.ej'.
Let us eat and drink, for
to-morrow we die.
Gen. ii. 7.
KOI Fyevera <5
129. Isa. sxv. S.
ns:?
He will swallow up death
in victory,
130. Hos. xiii. 14.
*rr-p TIN mo "nm ns
O death, I will be thy
plagues ; O grave, I will be
thy destruction.
131, Psal. cxvi, 10.
I believed, therefore have I
spoken.
132. Isa. xlix. 8.
I&a. xlix. 8.
[Part I. Ch.
1 Cor. xiv. 21.
'OT: ev erepoyhwffffois, KOLI ev
eTepois, \a\7)<T(a raj
TOUTW, itai. ouS' OUTOJS ei<r-
(JLOV, \eyei Kupios. '
"With men of other tongues
and other lip's will I speak
unto this people ; and yet for
all that will they not hear me,
saith the Lord.
1 Cor. xv. 27.
Hawa, yap vir^ra^v viro
TOVS -wofias avrov.
For he hath put all things
under his feet.
1 Cor. xv. 32.
KCU irtu/JLev' avpiov
And man became a living
soul.
Isa. xsv. 8.
Kareirtev 5 fravaros t,cr)(y<rcLs.
Mighty death had swal-
lowed up.
Hos. xiii. 14.
TIOV 7] SlKTJ ffOV, &CUfOT J
CrOW TO KGVTpOV TOV, o5l7 J
death, where is thy pu-
nishment ? Where thy sting,
O grave ?
Psal. cxvi. ID.
^frufrevffa, Sio \oA7?cra.
1 believed ; therefore I
spake.
Let us eat and drink, for
to-morrow we die.
1 Cor. sv. 45.
"Eyevero 6 irpuros avdpuiros
ASafj, eis ^X^ fwa"- 2
The first man, Adam, was
made a living soul.
1 Cor. xv. 54.
Death is swallowed up in
victory.
1 Cor. xv. 55.
IIou ffov t fravare, TO icevrpov;
liov <rov, aSfy TO VIKOS ; 3
O death, where is thy sting ?
O grave, where is thy victory ?
2 Cor. iv. 13.
(TOV,
I have believed, therefore
have I spoken.
2 Cor. vi. 5.
Kaipw <5eKT eirrjKovffa ffov,
TniW
In an acceptable time have
I heard thee, and in a day of
salvation have I helped thee.
In an acceptable time I
have hearkened to thee j and
in a day of salvation helped
thee.
I have heard thee in a time
accepted, and in the day of
salvation have I succoured
thee.
i This is not quoted from the Septuagint, but agrees in substance with the Hebrew ; except-
ing that it substitutes ihejirst person for the third, and adds \eyet Kvpios saith the Lord.
s This is taken from the Septuagint, which translates the Hebrew literally ; but the apostle,
by way of explanation, adds irpuros Jbst 9 and A5a/i Adam. (Scott. )
s Dr. Randolph is of opinion that the apostle either had a different reading of this passage
of Hosea, or that he understood the words in a different tense from that expressed in the
Hebrew Lexicons. But Bishop Horsley has shown that St. Paul only cited the prophet indi-
rectly. (Translation of Hosea, Notes, pp. 163167.)
VI. Sect. !.!.] The Old Testament in the New,
235
133. Lev. xxvi. 11, 12.
Lev. xxvi. 11, 12.
irart ^"pnn onto
I will set ray tabernacle
among you : - And I will
walk among you, and will be
you God, and ye shall be rny
people,
Kttl ejATTeplTT 0.71)003 V
Kai etrojiiai vftcw Qeos,
ffff9e uoi \aos.
And I will fix my taber-
nacle among you -- And I
will walk about among you,
and be your God, and ye shall
be my people.
2 Cor, vi. 16,
ey avTGis, KOLL
KUL effOfMai av-
TOW Qeos, Kai avToi ecrovTai jaoi
Aaos. !
I will dwell in them and
walk in them ; and I will be
their God, and they shall be
my people.
134,
Isa. lii. 11, 12.
INS TTID
Isa. lii. 11, 12.
, eeA-
Depart ye, depart yc, go ye
out from thence, touch no un-
clean tilings, go ye out of the
midst of her. And the God
of Israel will gather you up.
(See the marginal rendering.)
135. (See 2 Sam. vii. 14. in
No. 146. p. 2 37. infra )
eg\&ere e/c
Kai 6 eiri-
UjUas Qeos la-pa-rjX.
Depart, depart; come out
thence, and touch no polluted
thing. Come out of the midst
of ber, be clean. And the
God of Israel will bring up
your rear.
2 Cor. vi. 17.
Ato ee\3 ere e/c peeov avrcav,
KVQLOS'
KCLI
KOLl
Wherefore, come out from
among them, and be ye se-
parate, saith the Lord : and
touch not the unclean thing,
and I will receive you,
2 Cor. vi. 18.
Kai cffftytai fyuz/ eis -craTepa,
Kai uueis ecrecr^e poi ZLS viovs
KO.I fruyarepas, \GJGI Kvpios
136.
Exod. xvi. IS.
nnon rprn
Exod. xvi. 18.
OVK eTrAeoi/atrey, 6 .TO
KOLL o TO \arrov } OVK
He that gathered much had
nothing over ; and he that ga-
thered little had no lack.
137. Psal. cxii. 9.
mas? inpis Dava!? jna itD
He who gathered much had
nothing over ; and he who ga-
thered little did not fall short.
Psal. cxii. 9.
E<r/c0p7rio-J>, estates rois Tre-
vtlfftv 97 HiKaioffwri avrov fsj/ei
eis TOV attiiva TOV aiuvos.
And I will be a father unto
you, and ye shall be my sons
and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty.
2 Cor. viii. 15.
'O TO TCO\V, OVK
Kai 6 TO o\tyojf f OVK
^770-6.
He that had gfitkwed much,
had nothing over; and he that
had gatheredVittle, had no lack.
2 Cor. ix. 9.
, eSawe rots we-
aurov
1 In this and the following verses, the apostle applies to the Christian church- what was
spoken of the Israelites, in different places, but with some little variation. This citation is
taken from Lev. xxvi. 11, 12., only altering the pel sons: tOSini >:2ftQ Tim / ivill set my
tabernacle among you, is very properly translated GVQIKTJO'& sv auroty, I will dwell in them.
The clause following is left out, and the rest is translated according- to the Septuagint, only
with change of the person, and the Septuagint is an exact translation of the Hebrew. (Dr.
Randolph on the Quotations.)
2 The general sense of the prophet cited is given in this passage ; but it is neither made
from the Septuagint, nor is it a translation of the Hebrew. The Septuagint is, verbally, much
more according to the Hebrew.
3 We cannot say, certainly, whence this quotation is taken ; we have the substance of it ir
several parts of Scripture, where God promises to be a father to Israel, and calls Israel Mi-
son. Dr. Randolph thinks that it is most probably a reference to 2 Sam. vii. 14. where the very
words are spoken of Solomon I will be his fat her t and he shall be my sons an d this promise
to David is introduced v. 8. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts (in the Septuagint, Kvpios TvavTo-
KpaTtop, the Lord sUniighty) . The apostle applies this to Christians in general. (Dr, Ran-
dolph on the Quotations, p. 41.) But Mr. Scott is of opinion, that the apostle seems rather
to apply to Christians the general declarations made by Jehovah concerning Israel. (Exod.
iv, 22, 2S. Jer. xxxi. 1. 9, and Hoseai,9, 10.) See Christ. Observer, vol. x. p. 235.
236
Tables of Quotations from
[Part I. Ch.
He hath dispersed, he hath He hath dispersed ; he hath He hath dispersed abroad,
given to the poor; his right- given to the needy; his right- he hath given to the poor ; his
eousnesss endureth for ever. 'eousness shall endure for ever, righteousness endureth for
ever,
238. Dcut. \\x. 15.
: "m cip 1 nntf n
At the mouth of two wit-
2 Cor. xiii. 1 ,
Eiri ffrofjiaros dvo
icai rpiuv ffra&yo-erai nave
Deut. XIA. 15.
ETTI <rropa,ros <5vo paprvpcoV}
Kai eirt ffroparos rpicav paprv-
pc)v, ffrrjcrerai TTCLV pyjAa. .
By the mouth of two wit-
nesses, or at the mouth of nesses, or by the mouth of three witnesses shall every
three witnesses, shall the mat- three witnesses, every thing word be established,
ter be established. shall be established.
In the mouth of two or
139. Gen. xii. 3. (and see
xviii. 18.)
j nsTKn nrreoQ 'K *
In thee shall all families of
the earth be blessed.
Gen, xii, 3, (and see Gen.
xviii. IS.)
ai ev ffOL
Traffai at tpvXsti TTJS 7971.
And in thee shall all the
tribes of the earth be blessed.
Gal iii. 8.
"Ori vev\oyn]8'ifjJ'ovTa,i GV ffoi
iravra, ra eQvv}.
In thee shall all nations be
blessed.
140. Dent, xrsii. 2G.
Deut. xxvii. 27. (26. of Eng-
lish version.)
yois rov vofjiov rovrov,
Cursed be he that conarm- Cursed be every man who
eth not all the words of this w ill not persevere" in all the
law to do them. wor d s of this law to do them.
Deut. xxi. 23,
141. Deut. sxi.23.
He that is hanged is ac- Every one that is hanged on
cursed of God. a tree [gibbet], is accursed of
God.
Gal. iii. 10.
'iKaraparos iras 6s OVK 6/i-
v fXFQQ'i rots yeypafjLfj.e-
VOIS V T0 jSiSXlb} rOV VOfJLOUy
i avra.-
rov
Cursed is every one, that
continueth not in all things,
which are written in the book
of the law, to do them.
Gal. iii. 13.
iras 6
Cursed is every one that
hangeth on a tree.
142. Isa. Hv. 1.
Sin.g, O barren, thou that
didst not bear; break forth
into singing and cry aloud,
thou tlwt didst not travail TI ith
child ; for more are the chil-
dren of the desolate, than of
the man ied wife.
. liv, 1.
areipa y ov TIK-
fyv KG.L jSoTjtroi/ vj OVK
UTL tzroAA.cc ra re/ci/a
<TTJS rov
Rejoice thou barren, who
bearest not : break forth with
shouts of joy, thou who suf-
ferest not the pangs of child-
birth : for many more are the
children of the desolate than
of her w ho hath an husband.
Gal, iv. 27,
i yretpa fy
K
on
ffijs rov avfipar.
Rejoice, thou barren that
bearest not .- break forth and
cry, thou that travailest not :
for the desolate hath many
more children than she which
hath an hu&band.
' '' ' aken> With , a ^ D S ab d S^'. from Ihe Alexandrine
, unc is an exact translation of the Hebrew.
'Neither the apostle nor the Septuagint gives a literal translation of the Hebrew The
inedWl ' fdlhaS " wn-Ponangwrd in the Hebrew 7 and the
are omitted ' ' Scott) Dr- Randolph s that
VI. Sect. I. 1.] The Old Testament in the New.
237
143.
Gen. xxi. 10.
pNT nNin nnn
Gen. xxi. 10.
Cast out this bondwoman
JJ/, K.a,i TOV mov auras' ov yap
s Tf)S < JTGi-
ravTijs jttera TOV vlou
fj.au Icfaaic,
Send away this girl and her
and her son; for the son of son, for the son of this girl
this bondwoman shall not be shall not inherit (or, be the
heir with my son, even with heir) with my son Isaac,
Isaac.
Gal. iv. 30.
TT\V
rov vlovavnf]S' ov y
povofJL7)0"fj o vlos rys
TOV vlov T7{S
Cast out the bondwoman
and her son: for the son of
the bondwoman 'shall not be
heir with the son of the free
woman.
144. Psal. Ixviii. 19. (IS. of
English version,)
nnpb ""i- "
Psal. Isviii. 18.
Av aS&s eis fi^os,
ffas
Eph, iv. 8.
oo-
Thou hast ascended up on
fj.ct.Ta Tots av8pwrrois.
When he ascended up on
high, he led captivity captive,
Having ascended on high,
hin-h, thou hast led captivity thou hast led captivity captive. _ .
captive : thou hast received and received gifts in the man- and gave gifts unto men,
gifts for men. ner of men.
145. E^od. xx. 12. (and see Exod. xx. 12. (and see Bent.
Deut. v.l 6.) v. 16,)
, ^_ ^ % , n Tma TOV ffarepa tfou, KO.I Ti/za TOV ararepa ffov KO.I
i- ' "-* ' 1 t - k ^ v jujj-j-gpa O-QU, Iva ev ffoi ye- Tt\v fiairepa 'Iva ev Goiyevij-
I "51 s T*^ 1 * *? ij iK ~
Honour thy father and thy
mother, that thy days may be
long upon the land,
}BT7 7TJ TV)S J^S- . . .
Honour thy father and thy Honour thj father and thy
mother, that'll may be well mother that it may be well
with thee, and that thou may- with thee, and that thou may-
est live long in the land. cst live long upon the earth.
146. 2 Sam. vii. 14.
2 Sam. vii. 14. Heb. i. 5.
^uat avrta cis Trarepa, E7W effopat t
-a-j KCLL WTOS ffTai u.OL cis vfoy. KM auras OTat poi eis vtov.
T will be his father, and 'he I will be to him a father, I will be to him a father,
I will be his lather, ana ^ ^ ^ b(J to me a son> and he sha il I 3e to me a son.
shall be my son.
147. Psal, xcvii 7.
Worship him, all ye gods.
14S. Psal. civ, 4.
ID mnn vawto VTJ
s rrrb tj
Deut. xxxii. 43. Heb. i. 6.
Kat f3fpQffKUV1\tfflTWrQ,V CLVTtiS Kfti ' t
ivres ayyeXoi eov. wayres oryeAo eou.3
And let all the angels of And let all the angels of
.,1 ^u: >,:,,-, God \\orishiphim.
God worship him.
Psal . civ. 4.
row
Hcb.i. *.
S O V oi^ rous *yyXoi*
rw wfi^ara, K ro US A
rovpyous avrov -srupos <J> Ao7a
eci ^affected or altJed by it .These altorntions or accommodaUons wer,
the same verse which are not in the Hebrew. (Scott,;
238
Tables of Quotations from
[Part I. Ch.
Who maketh his angels Who maketh winds his mes-
spirits, his ministers, a flaming songere, and flaming fire his
lire.
]49, Psal. xlv. 7, 8. (6, 7, of
English version.)
; -pjjno pco jno yn
Thy throne, O God, zs for
ever and ever : the sceptre of
thy kingdom is aright sceptre.
Thou lovest righteousness and
hatest wickedness ; therefore
God, thy God, hath anointed
thee with the oil of gladness
above thy fellows.
150.
Psal. cii. 2527.
ywn
Of old hast thou laid ihe
foundation of the earth ; and
the heavens are the \iork of
thy hands. They shall perish,
but thou shalt endure; yea,
all of them shall wax old like
a garment. As a vesture shalt
thou change them, and they
shall be changed ; but thou
art the same and thy years
shall not fail.
Psal. viii, 4 6.
TllDI C
ministers.
Psal. xlv. 6, 7.
*O frpovos ffov, 6 os, eis
aiuva auavos" pao"os evdvrrjros
ij pa3os rys &affi\tas ffov
Eyamjffas SiKaioffwyv, Kai e/*i-
ffyffas aafofuay 5m rovro ^xp Lffe
ff 6 eos, 6 eos <rov, s\aiov
aya\\iaffeas irapa rovs [itro-
Xovs ffov.
Thy throne, O God, is for
ever and ever ; the sceptre of
thy kingdom is a sceptre of
rectitude. Thou didst love
righteousness and hate ini-
quity; therefore God, thy God,
hath anointed thee with the oil
of joy above thy associates.
Psal. cii. 2527.
Kar s apxas rr\v yrjv cru, Kvpie,
eSejucAicocras, /cat ep7a rcov x ei -
p(ov ffov eiffiv oi ovpavoi. Auroi
an-oAowTat,
Kai iravres i
taBirjffovrai, Kai&ffenrtpiSbXaiov
\ifis avrovs, Kai a\\ayr)ffov-
rai m ^v 5e 6 avros e, Kai ra
6T1J ffOV OVlt (
Thou, Lord, in the begin-
ning, didst lay the foundations
of the earth ; and the heavens
are the work of thy hands.
They shall perish, but thou
wilt endure i they shall all
wax old like a garment ; and
like a mantle thou wilt fold
them up, and they shall be
changed. But thou art the
same, and thy years shall have
no end.
Psal. viii. 4 6.
VTjffKTi avrov ; 77 vlos
on eTrtcvceiTTTj OUTQJ
rtaffas avrov j8pa%u Ti Trap'
vwvas CLVTOV, /cat
CLVTOV Ttt TO. epya
eov wavra virera^as utsro/caTw
Tit'V
<re 6 eos, 6
Who maketh his angels
spirits, and his ministers a
flame of fire.
Heb, i. 8, 9.
'O frpOVOS ffOV, & 60S, 61$
TQV aiwva rov aicavos' pa5os
evBvrf\ros f\ pao"os rtjs fiaffi-
Aetas ffov flyaTnrio'as Si/cato-
ffVVTJVj Kttl
Sta TOUTO
eos ffov, <
-jrapa rovs peroxovs ffov.
Thy throne, O God, is for
ever and ever; a sceptre of
righteousness- is the sceptre
of thy kingdom. Thou hast
loved righteousness and hated
iniquity ; therefore God, thy
God, hath anointed thee with
the oil of gladness above thy
fellows.
Heb. i. 1012.
AUTO*
KOLI epya, rtav
ffov Gicriv ol ovpavot.,
ffv 8e 5ia-
iravres &s t}*.a.riov
t, KO.I oxrei tsre-
avrovs, /cat
u Se 6 avros
KCC.I ret ryj ffov OVK e-
Thou, Lord, in the begin-
ning hast laid the foundation of
the earth, and the heavens are
the woiks of thine hands.
They shall perish, but thou
remainest i and they shall all
wax old as doth a garment;
and as a vesture shalt thou
fold them up, and they shall
be changed : but thou art the
same, and thy years shall not
fail.
Hcb.ii. 68.
Ti effriv avdpuiros, on fjn^
P71GKV) avrov ; r\ vlos avBpuirov,
6n TriffKTrrri avrov; HAar-
rtixras avrov jSpa^u rt -crap'
a77\ous* 0^77 KO.L rift,/} ecrre-
tyavtacras avrov,
avrov 67Ti TO ep7a rtav
croir travra vTreraas inroKarto
nvv TTofttav avrov.
i This quotation is taken from the Septuagint, which agrees exactly with the Hebrew, only
for DErtrrn (thou shalt change), is put 4Aiets (thou shalt fold up}* Some manuscripts of this
epistle have a\Aa|eu, (thou shalt change], which is also the reading of the Vulgate version.
Ur. Randolph, therefore, thinks it probable, that the original reading, both in the psalm and
this fettle was aA\a|i5. It is so in the Alexandrine edition of the Septuagint. and in the
clause immediately following, all copies read caAowowrai. On the Quotations, p. 42.
VI. Sect. I. 1-] The Old Testament in the New.
239
What is man that thou art
mindful of him? And the
son of man that thou visitest
him? For thou hast made
him a little lower than the
angels, and hast croxvnerl him
with glory and honour. Thou
madest him to have dominion
over the works of thy hands :
thou hast put all things under
his feet.
What is man that thou
shouldest be mindful of him ?
or the son of man that thou
shouldest visit him? Thou
madest him a little lower than
angels ; with glory and ho-
nour hast thou crowned him,
and set him over the works of
thy hands. Thou hast put all
things under his feet.
What is man, that thou art
mindful of him ? or the son of
man, that thou visitest him?
Thou madest him a little lower
than the angels ; thou crown-
edst him with glory and ho-
nour, and didst set him over
the works of thy hands ; thou
hast put all things in subjec-
tion under his feet.
152, Psal. xxii. 23. (22. of
English version.)
brrp Tina 'n7 loo meow
1 -
I will declare thy name unto
Psal. xxii. 22.
TO OVO^LO. aov rots
pow ev iieff KK\.TJ~
crias vfj,V7)ff(a ffe.
I will declare thy name to
Heb. ii. 12.
TO OVOJJLO, ffov
a8e\$ois pov ev
my brethren : in the midst of my brethren : in the midst of
the congregation will I praise the congregatif- T '" "~
thee. praise to thee.
I will declare thy name
unto my brethren : in the
the congregation I will sing midst of the church will I
sing praise unto thee.
153.
Isa. viii. 17, 18.
'33N run n^
mrr ->y;na
I will look for him. Be-
hold, I and the children which
the LORD hath given me.
154. Psal. xcv. 711.
-to* nsnwn
HDO DV:D
nff
nm on
To-day, if ye will hear his
voice, harden not your heart,
as in the provocation, and as
in the day of temptation in
the wilderness; When your
fathers tempted me, proved
me, and saw my work. Forty
years long was 1 grieved with
this generation, and said. It is
a people that do err in their
heart, and they have not known
tny ways : unto whom I sware
in my wrath, that they should
not enter into my rest.
155. Gen. ii. 3.
Isa. viii, 17, 18.
Kai TTSTroiOas etroftat CTT' av-
TQJ. iSov syci) Kai TO, Tra&ia. a
fjioi e<5&Kev 6 eos.
And I will trust in him-
Here am I, and the children
whom God hath given me.
Psal.xcv. 711.
STj/ue/Joy, eav TTJJ $I/TJS ou-
TOV aKovcrriTe, /LIT] <TK\7)pvviiTe
TOLS Kaptiias vfiwVj &s ev TCO
tsrapamKpaa-fjLw, Kara TTJV ^e-
paV TOV WipOL(TfjLOV GV TT) p1}fj,(ff*
Ou eveipaffav /xe oi Trccrepes
VfJLCOV* cSoKI/iCtffKV, K&L t&OV TCL
epya pov. TeffffapuKovra enj
arpoffcoxQiffa Tf\ yevea, eKewn,
KCU enrol' Aet nrA.aj/aj'roi TTJ
/capom, icai avrot OVK eyvuffav
Ta,s ofiovs fjiov ils wjuotra ev
TTJ opyy IJ.QV, et eL<re\evffovrai
eis Ttjv KaTairavcrtv juou.
To-day, since ye have heard
his voice, harden not your
hearts as at the great provoca-
tion, as in the day of the
temptation in the desert, where
your fathers tried me ; they
proved me, though they had
seen my works. Forty years
I was incensed with that ge-
neration, an4 said, They do
always err in their heart, and
have not known my ways. So
J sware in iny wrath, They
shall not enter into my rest.
Heb. ii. IS.
E7 etfojucu 7re?rcu0s CTT* av-
TCs). I5ou eyu KOI TO iraiSia a
juoi fticDKW 6 Geos.
I will put my trust in him.
Behold I and the children
which God hath 'given me.
Heb. iii. 710.
2bjjU6po?, eav
TOU aKOVffTjre, \
Tas Kaptiias vfj.tav t &>s & TU
TrapairiKpcuTfici), /cora TTJV T?/A-
pav rov TretpafffJLOV ev TQ epTjf^a*
O5 eireipaffav ^ue QI warepes
VJACCV, etioKinacrav ft, Kai i8ov
TO, epya. (JLOV TtcfffapaKOvra T7J"
Ato TS-po<rQ>x.8iffa TTJ yevea K6f-
vrj, KO.I enrov Aei -nrXavwpTa:
Tt\ /capSio- avroL Se OVK eyvta-
GO.V TOLS
KCM
Gen. ii. 3.
o
V T7J Opyfl fJLOV, l (
TOLL ts Tt]v KCLTtziravcriv juotr
To-day, if ye will hear his
voice, harden not your hearts,
as in the provocation, in the
day of temptation In the wil-
derness; when your fathers
tempted me, proved me, and
saw my works forty years.
Wherefore I was grieved with
that generation, and said,
They da always err in their
hearts j and they have not
known my ways. So I sware
in my wrath, They shall not
enter into my rest.
Heb. iv, 4.
Kcu KwrGiravffeir o Oeos
240 Tables of Quotations from [Part L Ch.
teat 7)yia- rr) ^uepa TTJ l8ojU7] tyiro irav-
', rvCDS 1 ? QTPN ioa"VDN irONta o^ OUTTJI/- 6Tt e?> ai'TTj /COTE- TCCV TUV epycav auTOu. i
jraucrcv OTTO 'TravTtoj' TWJ/ epyeov
avTov, &v 7?paTo ^ 0eos 13-0117-
And God blessed the se- And God blessed the seventh And God did rest the
venth day, and sanctified it ; day, and hallowed it ; because seventh day from all his
because that in it he had rested on it he rested from all these works,
from all his work which God works of his, which God had
had created and made. taken occasion I
156. Psal. ex. 4. Psal. ex. 4. Heb. v. Q.
s TOV atcur/a /cara 2u icpevs eis TOV aiwa Kara
Thou art a priest for ever, Thou art a pries>t for ever, Thou art a priest for ever
after the order of Melchi- after the order of Melchisedek. after the order of Melchisedec.
aedec.
157. "Gen, xxii. 16, 17. Gen. xxii. 16', 17. Heb. vi, 10, 14.
...TTin*"tDN3 TlWCJa "! ISN'l Aeyoiv, KOT' epaitTov w^ocra, eos tafjLocre tca,Q* eau-
na"lft ni^m ^^iW "pa"^ \eyei Kvpios' C H ^v euXo- TOV, A.e7y 'H fj^v svXoycw
^p^Tni"* 7 a " ; evhoyrjcftoj ffe, K&I irA7?0y- v\oyrjcr(a ere, real TzrTtfjQvv&v
viav irXriQwoj TO (nrepfta crov. < wh.7)6vva) ere.
^By myself have I sworn, Saying, By myself have I God .' ware by himself,
saith the Lord, that in sworn, saith the Lord, with saying, Surely, blessing I will
blessing I will bless thce, and blessings, I will indeed bless bless thee - and multiplying, I
in multiplying I will multiply thce; and I will multiply thy will multiply thee.
% seed. seed abundantly.
158. Exod. xxv, 40. Esod. xxv. 40. Heb. viii. 5.
arvaafsa rrfiRM n^ll e Opa, troi9jrets Kara TOV TV- 'Opa yap, $770-4, irQififfvisirav-
: ina rrin nn *ov TOV tiefayn&w o-oi *v TGJ TO KOTO, TOV TVTTOV TOV Set-
Opel. V0ffTtt 0"01 V Tt) ODSL,
And look, that thou make S CG that ihou make them For, See, saith he, to thou
them after their pattern, which according to the pattern shown make all things according to
was showed thee in the mount, thee on this mount. the pattern showed to thee in
the mount.
159, Jer. xxxi. 31-34. j er . xxxi . S1 _s 4 . Heb . viii . 8 __ 12<
Kuptos, Kai Sia^crojuat TW OIK& Kvpios, KOLI ffui/TeXecrw etrt TOV
finaa W7 ' ntJirr i^*1S min^ IffpcwjA Kai ru QIKP louSn fact- oiitov lo*pari\ KCU eiri TOV OLKOV
ov Kara r^v Iov5a BtaOfiKfiv KCLIVTIV ov KCLTO,
i/ TOIS TSra- TV}V o'laQtiKyv fjv GTroiycra. TOIS
Tpacrtv avreov, cv r)fj.pa eirt\a- irarpafftv avrcov, sv ypepa eTri-
n^as "imw rvian nwi O * rriiT 1 6^o7o7eu' avrovs e 717^ Ai- Tuv 9 efayayeiv avrous GK yys
n3i"T!l L3'"D^n >k lrTH tWlttJ* n s l~n^! 7*"^^" or* ourotowKeve^u/ai' A-iyvifTov QTI CLVTOL OVK e^e*
Ca'lpl TTniTHH ^nna mtl^'DW GVTI} oia&xjm) fJLov } KCU ,70* 7^u-> ustvav CVTT) 5ta077K77 uoi
t2i: *nym ri:an3M Qa^";3?1 ^Jffaaurw, ^o-fKupros* ( Ori -jj/ieATjcra avruv, \eyei
M*71 t G^? 'Vvrr* Mom D*n^Mb a ^ T7 ' ^ SiaS-rjKij /iou, 7;v Sta^rj- *OTI auriy ^
C^M TrrS'*l"nN "il^W lli 4 ' IVO^* ^^^foaotKulffpcefjXjf^erctTas BvjtToiLLai Tea o
'3 mtTTIM 13TT ""OW^ Vn^TlX TTj^^pas efcetyas, ipTiffi l\vpios' TCIS ^jtiepas /C6tvary A,e7et Ku-
'*"" ""> VOJJ.QVS JJ.OV IS T1)V plOS' SlSovS VOJJ.QVS JU.OV IS TJflf
, /cat eTi KCLpQias Siavoiav avrtav, KOLL CTTI KapBfas
iftt> awrous* /cai ecro- atrwi/ eirtypafyto avrovs ' Kai
rots sis 0eov, Kai O.VTOI ecTo^uat aarou is Qeov, /cat ay,
(JLOi eis \aov. Kai ov TOI scrovrai pov ets Xaoy Kai
5i5|efftv Ireao-Tos TOV wo- ov y.fi $i$a%uffiv GICCUTTOS TOV
CIVTOV /cat e/cao"Tos TOI/ ttr\Tjtfioj/ aurou, K&L Ka.ffTQs TOV
>ov avTov, XeyuVy Tvcafri aoeA^ov CIUTOU, Xeyuv, I
TOV Kupiov OTL TcavTss edSrj- TOV Kvpiov &TL isrwres
This is an abridgment both of the Stptuagint and the Hebrew.
VJLfiect. I.jl.] The Old Testament in the New.
l |Ue, GOTO {MKpOV OLVTUV 4o5S
jp,sya\ov avrcav on, t\eea$ e<ro-
i rais adiKiats ctvrcw, KCLI rcaj/
cwrwv ov
er:.
Behold, the days come,,
saith the Lord, that I will
make a new covenantVith the
house of Israel and with the*
house ofjjkidah ; not accord-
ing to" the covenant that I
Behold, the days are coming,
saith the Lord, when I \vlil
make a new covenant wit|L
(he house of Judah ; not ac*
cording to the covenant which
I made with their fathers, in
made with their fathers, in the- the day when I took them by
(Jay that 'I took them by tfre tffe hand to bring them out of
hand to being them out of the Egypt. Because they did not
land of Egypt; (which my abide by this covenant of mine,
covenant they brake although therefore I took no care of
I was an husband to them, them, saith the Lord. For,
saith the Lord.) But this this is my covenant which I
shaft be the covenant thdCjC* 1 will 'make with the .house of
will n%j|e with the house 01 ^I^rddl: "after those uS.ys', saith
Israel ; after4hoseJays, saith the Hord, I will adapt my laws
the Lord, I will put my law to their understandings, and
write them on their hearts,
and I will be their God, agd
sum yvm u Lutrn \juu, ,anu. -they shall be my people; and
they shall* be my people: And nltay" shall no nSore teach every
they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every
man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know
man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all will know
the LORD : for they shall all me from the greatest to, the
knoft*hib from the least u$to j^ast of tlt&m ; for I will b'e
the greatest ^saith the Loun : merciful JcT their* iniquities,
for I will forgive their ini- arfd no more remember their
quity, and I will remember sins,
their sin no more.
in their inward parts, and
will write it in their hearts ;
and will be their God, .and
a overt. /ice, airo /niKpov avruv i&j;
fj.eya\ov avTQiV OTL tXsois etro-
pai rats ctfiiictais avrw, KCU TGW
a(j.apruav avrcay, icat Ttav avo-
fjuuv avrcav ov jwr) {JLvrjffOto en, *
Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord, when T will make a
now covenant with the house
of Israel and the house of
Judah : not according to the
covenant that I made with
their fathers, in the day when
I took them by the hand to
lead them out of the land of
Egypt ; because they con-
tinued not in my covenant,
and I regarded them not, saith
the Lord. For this is the co-
venant that I will make with
the house of Israel after those
days, saith the Lord. I will
put my laws in iheir mind,
and write them in their hearts ;
and I will be to: them a God,
and they shall be -tft mV'a*
people: *And they, shall not
teach every man his neighbour,
and every man hU brother,
saying, Know tSfe Lord : for
all shall Ijnow me k "fnl*>%th
l*ast io.thc greatest. vJb'or' I"
will be merciful to their un-
righteousness, and their sins
and their iniquities will I re-
member no more.
160. Exod. xxiv, 8. _ *^&od. x^iv. 8.
Jlirp^np "rtbNf n*ri3IT~tDl Jl^rf I8ov TO^fo^a TTJA, SLaSfvjKijSj Tovro TO alp,& T^V^
*' % t3^Di? %$ titefrerQ+Ktynos irpos w/uas. TJS ev&F^ifcct'ro irpos v/&<$$ d eo$.
Behold the blood of the Behold the blood of the co- This is the blood of the tes-
covcnant, which the LORD' venant, which the Lord hath tament, which God hath en-
hath made witlwyou. ^ ^I^^Eii! 1 ^JK" joined unto you.
361,
irtowo
al."* 79. (6-8. of
English version.)
risen
nn^oi nm
Psal. xl. G 9.
LKTtaV KCU TTp3ff<t>Opa.V OVK
* Heb, s. 57.
Qvffiav KOLI ts-pocrfyopctit OVK
s^ erw^ua <5e /car
1 This long quotation is in generrf made fron^he Septuagint, though with several verbal
differences, which will be easily observed on collation, but which do not aflcct the meaning,
though they sown to imply, thai the apostle did not confine himself to the Suptuagint. It is,
however, manifest that he had that translation iifhis thoughts, because he exact!., quotes it,
where it differl&iobt materially from the Hebrew. T1W Septuagint is, almbsWhrouglltout this
passage, a clo&e version of the Hebrew j but, instead of the clause, which in our authorised
English translation is rendered although I was ft husband to than, the Septuaginf reads, icat
ey<*> wteATjira avruv, therefore X took m care afthenis which lection is followed by the apostle.
Whether the Hebrew was then read ditleremly, as Dr. Randolph and other learned men sup-
pose-, oir whether the apostle did not think the difference so mateml as Jo interrupt hit -rgu
raent on , cf-ount of it, others must determine. Another variation Is, that the Hebrew ha& tb
preterite in ^ne place, where the Septuagint has the future, &5ou$ 8arw, I wiU^mt, &c. J*ut
the Hebrew should doubtless be read with what the grammarians term the canvsrsiue mu, and
be understood in a future sense, as the context requires (which both before and after speaks of
a new and future covenant) ; as it is *lso rendered in all the antient versions, and m the Uia
dee paraphrase ; and as twenty of the Hebrew manuscripts collated b;
See his^^ertatio Genefalis, 66. (Dr, Kandolph, Scott.)
VOL. ^
. Kenmcott **
Tables of Quotations from
[Part I. Ch.
na "[mini nscn
Burnt offering and sin of-
fering hast thou not required.
Then said I, Lo, I come : in
the volume of the book it is
written of me ; I delight to
do thy will, O ray God, yea
thy law is within my heart.
162. Deut. xsxii. 35. (36. of
English version.)
IB? rnrp ri^a
'OAorcavrw/ua Kat Trspi
IKS OVK yrijffas. Tore
enrov lSov 3 TJKOU (sv Ke<pa\io't
fSi\iov yeypcnrraL irepi e/iou)
TOV Troiqffai ro 3-eA77.ua ffov, 6
sos juou, 7)ov\i]d'nv, Kat rov
fjLOV.
Sacrifice and offerings thou
didst not desire, but thou
prejparedst a body v ~1For npe.
'"Whole* burnt offerings, and
offerings for sin thou didst
not require. Then I said,
Behold I come fin the volume
of a book it is written re-
specting me) to perform, O
my God, thy will, I was de-
termined, even that law of
thine, within my heart.
Deut. sxxii. 36.
i KpLVci l\vpios rov
a KCU tsrept
afj-aprias OVK 6uSo/c7j<rw Tore
GLTCOV lov, rjKco (ev
&t\iov yeypairrai -crept
Toy 'aron/iffaif 6 eos, TO
ffov. l
Sacrifice and offering thou
wouldest not, but, Abody hast
thou prepared me. In burnt
offerings and sacrifices for sin
thou hast had no pleasure.
Then said I, Lo, I come (in
the volume of the book it is
written of me) to do thy will,
O God.
Heb. x. 130.
Kvpios Kpivei rov Aaoz/
The LORD shall judge his Because the Lord will judge The Lord shall judge his
people. his people. people.
163. Hab.ii, 3, 4.
run :irm* w 1 ? ^a 1 s
TJih ii s 4 Heb. x. 37, 38. (and see Rom.
Hab '"* 3 ' 4 * i.17. Gal.iilH.)
T OTi epxopevos y&t, KCU ov C O epxopwos ^|e/ Kat ov
TCH, ovie euBo/ce: 73 i|/ux^ A* ou V <rr*as ftyrerar a: eav vnro-
i This quotation is taken from the Septuagint with a little variation ; but although the
general moaning is the same, they aie widely different in verbal expression in the Hebrew.
David's words are, *': m3 D*:W aznayini cariia li, which we translate, tny ears fiast thou opened
but they might be more properly rendered, my ears hast Ihou bored; that is, Thou ha&t made
Me thy servant fir ever, to dwell in thine own house : for the allusion is evidently to the cus-
tom mentioned Esod. xxl 2., &c. If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve
'
possible that the
Septuagint and the apostle should take a meaning &o totally different from the sense of the
Hebrew ? Dr. Kennicott has a very ingenious conjecture here : he suppos.es that the Septu-
agint and apostle express the meaning of the words as they stood in the copy from which the
Greek translation was made ; and that the present Hebrew text is corrupted in the word
tr:-N axnayim, ears, which has been written through carelessness for im w axgeaak, THEN a
Boor. The 6rst syllable ; N a.r, THEN, is the sama in both; and the latter tn ni'n, which
joined to W <n, makes D'JW aznayim, might have been easily mistaken for m:i e wh, BODY -
3 mm, being very like : gimel , ^ yod like 1 vau ; and n he like final D mem i especially if the
line on which the letters were written in the MS. happened to be blacker than ordinary (which
has often been a cause of mistake] it might ha\e been easily taken for the under stroke of the
mem, and thus give rise to a corrupt reading : add to this the root HID cara/t signifies as well
to prepare, as to open, bore, #c. On this supposition the antient copy translated by the Sen
tuagint, and followed by the apostle, nust have read the text thus, ^ FTO mj w a? gm cartia
h; wpa 5e Korviffrurta fMi 9 then a body thou hast prepared me.- thus the Hebrew text the Ver-
sion of the Septuagint, and the apostle, will agree in what is known to be an indisputable fact
in Christianity ; namely, that Christ wa. incarnated for the sin of the world. The Mthivmc
has nearly the same reading : the Arabic has both, A body hast thou prepared for me, and me
MUou but opened. But the tyriac, the Chaldec, and the Ftifeate, agree iith the
Hebrew text; and none of the MS& collated by Xennicott and De Lti have any
C
VI. Sect. L 1.] The Old Testament in the New.
243
6 Se Sttcaios
For the vision is yet for an
appointed time; but at the
end, it shall speak and not lie :
though it tarry, wait for it,
because it will surely come,
it will not tarry. Behold, his
soul, which is lifted up, is not
upright in him: but the just
shall live by his faith.
For he will assuredly come,
and will not fail. If any one
draw back, my soul hath no
pleasure in him. But the just
shall live by faith in me.
OVK eu&OKei f) tyvXH
(J.OV V WTO). l
For yet a little while, and
he that shall come, will come,
and will not tarry. Now the
just shall live by faith : but if
any man draw back, my soul
shall have no pleasure in him*.
164. Gen, xlvii. 31. Gen. xlvii. 31. Heb. xi. 21.
em TO a,Kpov rov paSBov avrov. aKpov rys fiaffiov avrov.
And Israel bowed himself And Israel bowed down on And worshipped, leaning
upon the bed's head. the head of his staff. upon the top of his staff.
165.
Prov. iii. 11.
* m mrr
j innaim
Prov. iii. Jl. Heb. xii. 5.
Tie, pij^ o\tytapei TraiSeias T/e pov, w oArytypei izrcu-
KvpLQVf /ATjfie K\vov VTT* cwTov fietas Kvpiov t jtwjSe e/cAuou UTT'
My son, despise not the My son, slight not the cor- My son, despise not thou
chastening of the LOUD ; nei- rcction of the Lord ; nor faint the chastening of the Lord,
thcr be weary of his correction, when reproved by him. nor faint when thou art re-
buked of him.
1G6, Jo&h. i. 5. (find see
Dcut. xxxi. 8.)
I will not fail thce, nor for-
sake thee.
167. Psal. cxviii. 6.
The Loiin is on my side, I
will not fear ; what can man
do unto me ?
Deut. xxxi. 8.
Qvic avija-ei ere, ov5e
Qv
Heb. xiii, 5.
ere ow/w, ouS' ov
(The Lord) .... will not I will never leave thec, nor
leave thce, rjor forsake thee. forsake thee..
Psal. cxviii. 6.
Kvpios spot fioirjQos, icai ov
<t>o'r)6'r]0'Qfji > at, ri Troiriffei. pot a,v-
Heb. xiii. 6.
Kvpios e/mot
feat ov
ew-
The Lord is my helper, and The Lord is my helper, and
I will not fear what man can I will not fear what man can
do unto me. do unto me.
168.
Hag.
tern
ii. 6.
rim*
Yet once, it is a little while,
and I will shake the heavens
and the earth.
Hag. ii. 6.
En cbra 70? ffeuru TOV ov-
pavov, icat rrjv y'nv.
Yet once more, I will shake
the heaven and the earth,
Heb, xii. 26.
En cbr eyca tfetto ov povov
TT\V jfiVy aAAot /cat rov oupa-
vav. i
Yet once more I shake,
not the earth only, but also
heaven.
1 This quotation is nearly from the Septuagint : both the apostle's citation and that version
differ considerably from the Hebrew text ; yet the general meaning is the same. (Scott.)
2 This quotation is taken from the Soptuagint version of Gen, xlvii. 31., omitting only the
word Israel. The variation from the Hebrew is merely in the vowel points : ntsrprr a bed y
the Septuagint read rrdxn n stuff* And that this is the true reading seems probable, because
it does not appear that Jacob was then confined to his bed, and because it is not easy to under-
stand what can be meant by worshipping or bowing himself on the head of his bed. In the other
reading the sense is plain : Jacob worshipped God, and, being old and feeble, supported himself
by leaning on the top of fas stnff\ (Dr. Randolph on the Quotations, p. 45.)
3 The apostle seems purposely to have varied from the Septuagint, in order to render the
quotation more emphatical and suited to his purpose. The Septuagint well translates the
Hebrew, omitting the words rendered in our version, It is a little while. (Scott, )
R 2
Tables of Quotations from
[Part I. Ch.
169. Hos, xiv. 3, (2. of
English version.)
Hos, xiv. 2.
Kou
KCLpTTOV
Heb. xiii. 15.
At* avrov ow
06W, rovr&rri, kapirov
6/j(.o\oyovvr<av TW OVOJJLO.TI
So will we render the calves And we will render to thee By him, therefore, let us
of our lips. tae fru ^ of our ^P s< ff Qr tlie sacri fice of praise to
God continually, that is, the
fruit of our lips, confessing
(marginal rendering) to his
170. (Gen.vi.3. 5-?)
(Gen. vi. 35. ?)
James iv. 5.
Tipos tyfrovov eirwrofrei TO
The spirit, that dwelleth in
us, lustelhto envy.
171. Prov. iii. 34,
Prov. iii. 34.
Kupios uTTepTjipavois avrira<r-
James iv. G.
*O eos
Surely he scorneth the The Lord resisteth the God resistetli the proud,
scarners, but giveth grace proud, but he giveth grace but giveth grace unto the
unto the lowly. unto the humble. humble.
172.
:
Lev. xi. 44.
1 Pet. i. 1(5.
, 6rt eyta ayios
Lev. xi. 44,
Kat 07101 etreo-06, bri cuyios c
eijtu 70) Kvpios 6 eos fyuwy. eifj.
Ye shall be holy, for I am And be ye holy, because I Be ye holy, for I am holy,
holy. the Lord your God am holy.
i This is not properly a citation, but only an allusion to an expression in Hos. xiv 3, The
phrase ttapirov X"*^ fruit of the lips, is taken from the Septuagint. In the Hebrew, it is
irnct? DnB, which our English translation and the Vulgate version render the calves of our
lips. This expression may refer primarily to the sacrifices, heifers, calves, &c. which the Is-
raelites had vowed to Jehovah ; so that the caloes (/their lips were the sacrifices which they had
promised. From the apostle and Septuagint rendering this word//* (in which they are fol-
lowed by the Syriac and Arabic versions) it is evident that their copies read n& (rrmvl the D
being omitted ; and thus the word would be literally /rui*, and not calves. This reading how-
ever is not found in any of the MSS. hitherto collated.
a This, Dr. Randolph has observed, is a difficult passage. The apostle is generally th.
to refer to Gen. vi. 3. 5., where we have the like in sense; but, in expression, the au
differs widely both from the Hebrew and the Septuagint. Dr. Randolph and Mr, Scott, after
some expositors, think it a general reference to the doctrine of Scripture, and not a direct
lought
apostle
bers, which they read and point,
---'. . '///"" ~"~ r\- "-"i's il "''yi thus,, Do ye think that the Scripture sttealecl/i
iniwn? UththeSinnt,wlckdwdletk in us, te unto envy? Which mode of pointing
removes the difficulty at once. L
3 s taken fr ^ Ulc . Septu^int, only putting 'o 0eas instead of Kupuw. They differ
T? A e h ? ebrev ^ Wlth whl ^the Vulgate agrees,-^^ z7/ WS am, he will scorn the scorn.rs.
The Arabic version agrees yr,tfa the Septuagint -.rf* /;*, he will resist the proud
The Syriac version renders it deslruet irnsores, he will destroy the women; and the Clmldec
paraphrase - illusory propellct, he will drive away the scorners, It is not easy to accou nt for
thi. difference - nor is it worth while to attempt it : the sense is much the sa^e as the
and the ^corners are equivalent egressions in Scripture language. (Dr. Randolph, p,
VI. Sect. Ljl.] The Old Testament in tlie Ne.
245
173. Isa. xl.G 8.
Dip* i3rftN wi
All flesh w grass, and all
the goodliness thereof is as
the flower of the field. The
grass withereth, the flower
fadeth : But the word of
our God shall stand fast for
ever.
Jsa. xl.6 .8.
Ilowro crapf xopros, KUI tfratra
5o|a avdponrov &s uvQos xoprov
EfrpavBr] b xopros t Kai TO avQos
ef 7re<7e. To 8e faita rov eou
rov aiuva.
All flesh is grass ; and all
the glory of man as a flower
of grass. The grass is wither-
ed, and the flower fallen ; but
the word of our God endureth
for ever.
1 Pet. i. 24, 25.
i Tracra 5o|a avdponrov us av-
KO.I TO avSos avrou
Te Se fafjia Kvpiov pevei eis TQV
aiuva.
For all flesh is as grass, and
all the glory of man, as the
flower of grass. The grass
witheretb, and the flower
thereof falleth away : but the
word of the Lord endureth
for ever.
174. Isa. xxviii. 16.
no*
Behold I lay in Zion for a
foundation, a stone, a tried
stone, a precious corner stone,
a sure foundation ; he that
believeth shall not make haste.
Isa, xxviii* 16.
iSou, 6701
Q(J.e\toL ^uav
Xi&ov -
tov, ei/ri-
JJLOV, ets TCL S^efJLeXta avrr]s m /cat
tSTLCTTSVCaV OV jU.6 KO,TC/LI.G-)(y v Q'Q'
Behold I lay for the found-
ation of Sion, a stone of in-
estimable worth, a chosen
precious corner-stone for the
foundations of it : and he who
believeth shall not be ashamed.
1 Pet. ii. 6. (and see Rom.
ix. 33.)
ISou, TiQ-rifju ey ~2,uav XiQov
aKpoywicuov, cK\cmov, evri- '
(J.QV Kai o iTiffTevcav CTT' aura)
ou fjt.7]
Behold I lay in Sion a
chief corner-stone, elect, pre-
cious ; and he that believeth
on him shall not be confound-
ed.
175. Exod. xix. 6.
tonp nai
Ye shall be unto me a king-
dom of priests, and an holy
nation.
Exod. xix. 6.
"tyteis Se e<re<r0e juot J3affi\eiov
tepareufjia, Kai e&vos ayiov.
And ye shall be to me a
royal priesthood, and an holy
nation.
1 Pet. ii. 9.
Se~. .
i6vo$ ayiov.
But ye are a royal
priesthood, a holy nation.
176. Isa. liii. 9.
: von
Isa, liii, 9.
AvojJLtctv ovic e7rof?7<rez', o
V TO) ffTOf.LQ,TL &VTOV.
Because he had done no He committed no iniquity,
I Pet. ii. 22.
*Os apapTiav ov/c etrotycrw,
ou&e eupei&ij SoXos ev T<& ffro-
fiart OUTOV.
Who did no sin, neither was
violence, neither was any de- nor practised guile with his guile found in his mouth,
ceit in his mouth. mouth.
177.
Isa. liii. 5.
Teo
Isa. liii. 5.
oAwTTi O.VTOV yueis ta-
1 Pet. ii. 24.
Ou T&J ^iwAwTTt avrov ia8r)T.
With his stripes we are By his bruises we are healed. By whose stripes ye were
healed. healed.
178. Psal/xxxiv. 1317.
(12 16. of English version.)
tw srm D^rr ysnn wN
IID
dtbw wpn
Psal. xxxiii. 1216.
Tis e<rrtz/ wfrpa-rros 6 ^cAwv
J/, wyairwv Tjfjiepas itiw aya-
; Tlavffov TTJV yX<aff<fav crov
airo KOLKOV) /cat X 64 ^ 5 ? ffov Tou
/XT? AaA^trat 8o\ov eiathivoy
airo KO.KOV, Kai iroii)(rov ayaQw
friTiia'ov ipf]W]Vy Kai Sioofcov otv-
Tf\v OtydaXfJioL Kvptov em St-
Kaiovs, Kai tara avrov eis Serjtriv
avruv* 'arpoa'coirov 5e Kvptov eiri
irotovpras KUKU.
H 3
I Pet. iii. 1012.
'O yap fre\w frcwiv ayairav,
Kai fieiv vi^pas ayaQas, irav-
(farea rw yXtoifffav avrou OTTO
KUKOV, Kai xei\97 avrov TOV y,t\
KOI iroififfaTta ayadov
* eipyvnv, Kai 5uaaru
'Or i ol o<j)6a\jjLoi Kv-
piov em 8t/caious, Kai tara avrov
avrw Trpoffcovov 5
246
Quotations./* the Old Testament in the New. [Part L Ch-
"What man desireth life, and
loveth many day*, that he may
see good? Keep thy tongue
from evil, and thy lips from
speaking guile. Depart from
evil and do good ; seek peace
and pursue it. The eyes of
the LORD are upon the right-
eous, and bis ears are open
unto their cry. The face of
the LOUD is against them that
do evil.
What man soever desireth
life, and loveth to see good
days ? Keep thy tongue from
evil, and thy lips from speak-
ing guile. Depart from evil
and do good ; seek peace and
pursue it. The eyes of the
Lord are upon the righteous ;
and his ears are open to their
prayer. But the face of the
Lord is against them that do
evil.
Isa. viii. 12, 13.
Tov 5e <boov avrov ov
179. Isa. viii. 12, 13.
wh iNTrrwb iNTin~nNi '
irw m3Jt mrp'rw : isni s n
t wrpn
Neither fear ye their fear :
nor be afraid. *cai v* nxm, "* >* j
Sanctify the LOBP of Hosts Hallow the Lord himself,
himself.
For he that will love life
and see good days, let him re-
frain his tongue from evil,
and his lips that they speak
no guile. Let him eschew
evil and do good ; let him
seek peace and pursue it. For
the eyes of the Lord are over
the righteous, and his ears
are open unto their prayers :
but the face of the Lord is
against them that do evil.
1 Pet. iii. 14, 15.
Toy 3e (pogof avrwv JUT? <o-
,
Kvpiov avrov ayLa.ffo.re.
Be not ye terrified with the
fear of him, nor dismayed.
180. Prov. x. 12.
; mn noan n^srte
Love covereth all sins.
181. Psal. ii. 9.
Prov, x. 12.
Ticwras 8e rou? JMJ
Thou shalt break them with
a rod of iron ; thou shalt dash
them in pieces like a potter's
vessel.
piov 5e
And be not afraid of their
tert-or, neither be troubled,
but sanctify the Lord God in
your hearts.
1 Pet.iv. 8.
T) ayaTTTj ica\vtyL
But friendship covereth all
them who are not contentious.
Psal. ii. 9.
avrovs ev /5a&a
us ffKVQs Kepapecas
' avrovs.
Thou shalt rule them with
a rod of iron : thou shalt
break them to pieces like a
potter's vessel.
For charity sball cover the
multitude of sins.
KOI
Rev. ii. 27.
roipavei avrovs ev |5ag&w
&s TCL ff-tcewj ra wepa-
And he shall rule with a
rod of iron : as a potter's
vessel, shall they be broken to
shivers.
Both this quotation and the Septuagint give the meaning of the Hebrew ; but the word
oiv (their], which is used by St. Peter, seems to give the sense better than the singular
avrov (his] of the Septuagint. The original Hebrew (which is JEHOVAH Sabaoth, Lord of
Hosts) will admit of either. (Scott)
a This is a translation from the Hebrew, and widely different from the Septuagint ; only
for cttt sins, the apostle has the multitude of sins. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions
differ strangely from each other. (Dr. Randolph, Scott.)
s This is nearly a quotation of the Septuagint (which exactly translates the Hebrew),
the person only being altered from the second to the third. (Dr. Randolph, Scott. )
VI. Sect. II. } L] Classification of Quotations, fyc.
247
SECTION II.
ON THE EXTERNAL FORM OF THE QUOTATIONS FROM THE OLD
TESTAMENT IN THE NEW.
I. CLASSIFICATION OF THE QUOTATIONS FROM THE HEBREW SCRIP-
TURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
1 HE Quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures in the New Testa-
ment may be arranged under the nine following classes, viz, L Quo-
tations exactly agreeing with the Hebrew ; II. Those which
agree nearly with the Hebrew ; III. Quotations, agreeing with the
Hebrew in sense but not in words; IV. Such as give fas general sense;
V. Quotations, which are taken from several passages of Scrip-
ture ; VI. Quotations differing from the Hebrew, but agreeing
with the Septuagint; VII. Quotations in which there is reason to
suspect a different reading in the Hebrew, or that the Apostles
understood the words in a sense different from that expressed in our
Lexicons; VIII. Passages, in which the Hebrew seems to be cor-
rupted; and IX. Passages which are not properly citations, but
mere references or allusions.
No, Chap, and Verse of O. T.
3. Hos. xi. 1 . _ agrees with
7. Dent. viii. 3.
9. Dcut. vl, 16.
1 2. Isa. liii. 4
13. Hos. vi. 6* -
21, Lev. xix. 18.
24. Psal, cxviii, 22, 23.
27. Psal. ex. 1.
I. Quotations exactly agreeing with the Hebrew.
Chap, and Verse of N. T.
Matt. ii. 15.
Matt. iv. 4. Luke iv. 4.
Matt. iv. 7.
Matt, viii. 17.
Matt. ix. 13. xii. 7.
Matt. xix. 1 9. xxii. S9.
JMatt, xxi, 42. Mark xii. 10. Luke xx.
" \ 17. Acts iv. 11.
{Matt. xxii. 44. Mark xii. 36. Luke xx.
42.
30. Psal. xxii. 19. - - - Matt, xxvii, 35.
31. Psal. xxii. 2. - - - Matt, xxvii. 46.
32. Isa. liii, 12. - Mark xv. 28. Luke xxii. 37.
34. Lev. xii. 8. ... Luke ii. 24.
3G. Psal. Ixix. 10. - John ii. 17.
40. Psal. Ixxxii, G. - John x. 34.
42. Psal. liii. 1. - - John xii. 38. See Roni. x. 1 6
4G. Psal. xxii. 19. - John xix. 24.
50. Psal. cix. 8. - Acts i. 20.
54. Gen. xxii. 18. - - Acts iii. 25.
55. Psal. ii. 1 , 2. - - - Acts iv. 25, 2G,
f>4. Psal. ii, 7. ... Actsxiii. 33.
69. Exod. xxii. 27. - Acts xxiii. 5.
75, Pbal. v. 10. - Rom. iii. 13.
76. Psal. cxl. 4. - - Rom. iii. 13.
79. Psal. xxxvi. 2* - - Rom. iii. 18.
80. Psal. xxxii. 1,2. , - - Rom. iv.7,8.
81. Gen. xvii. 5. - Rom. iv. 17.
82. Gen. xv. 5. - - - Rom. iv. 18.
83. Psal. xliv. 22. - - Rom. viii. 36.
84. Gen. xxi. 7. - Rom. ix. 7.
86. Gen. xxv. 23. - - - Rom. ix. 12.
87. Mai. i. 2, 3. - - - Rom. ix. 13.
88. Exod. xxxiii. 19. - - Rom. ix. 15.
So. Exod. ix, 16. - Rom, ix,17.
R 4
24,8
Classification of Quotations from the [Part I. Ch.
No. Chap, and Verse of O. T.
Chap, and Verse of N. T.
95. Lev. xviii. 5. agrees with
Rom. x. 5.
109. Psal. Ixix. 10. -
Rom. xv. 3.
310. Psal. xviii. 50.
Rom. xv. 9.
112. Psal. cxvii. 1,
Rom. xv. 11.
114. Isa. Iii. 15.
Rom. xv. 21.
118. Jobv. 13,
1 Cor. iii, 19.
120. Dent. xxv. 4.
1 Cor. ix. 9.
121. Exod. xxxii. 6. - \~
1 Cor. x. 7.
123. Psal. xxiv. 1. - -
1 Cor. x. 26.
125. Psal. viii. 6.
1 Cor. xv. 27.
126. Isa. xxii, 13. -
1 Cor, xv. 32.
128. Isa. xxv. 8. -
1 Cor. xv. 54.
130. Psal. cxvi. 10. - -
2 Cor, iv. 13.
131. Isa, xlix. 8.
2 Cor. vi. 2.
135. Exod. xvi. 18. - -
2 Cor. viii. 15.
1S6. Psal. cxii. 9. - -
2 Cor. ix. 9.
Ml. Isa. liv. 1. -
Gal. iv, 27.
145. 2 Sam. vii. 14.
Heb. i. 5.
146. Psal, civ. 4.
Heb. i. 7.
147. Psal. xlv. 7,8.
Heb. i. S 3 9.
149. Psal. viii. 46.
Heb. ii, 6 8.
150. PsaL xxii. 23. -
Heb. ii. 12. !
151. Isa. viii. 17, IS.
Heb. ii. ] 3.
153. Gen. ii. 3.
Heb. iv. 4.
155. Gun. xxii. 16, 17.
Heb. vi. 13, 14.
1GO. Deut. xxxIL 35.
Heb. x. 30.
162. Gen, xlvii. 31.
Heb. xi. 21.
163. Prov.iiL 11.
Heb. xii. 5.
164. Josh. i. 5. -
Heb. xiii. 5.
170. Lev. xi. 44.
1 Pet. i. 16.
II* Quotations nearly agreeing "with the Hebrew.
These correspond nearly with the Hebrew, though not so literally
as those in the preceding class, to which they are nearly equal in
number: Thus,
1. Isa. vii. 14.
4. Jer. sxxi. 15.
8. Psal. xci. 11, 12.
10. Deut. vi. 13.
11. Isa. ix. 1,2.
16. Isa. vi. 9, 10.
19. Gen. ii. 24.
120. Exod, xx. 1216.
25. Exod, iii. 6.
26. Deut. vi. 5.
28. Zech. xiii. 7.
G7. Psal. Ixxviii. 24.
55. Isa. liv. 13.
44. Psal. xli. 9.
45. Psal.cix. 3.
47. Exod. xii. 46.
48. Zech. xii. 10.
51. Joel iii. 1 5.
56. Gen. xii. 1.
61. Isa.lxvi. 1,2.
67. Isa. xlix, 6.
70. Hab. ii. 4.
7U Isa.lii.5.
nearly agrees with Matt. i. 23.
Matt. ii. 18.
Matt. iv. 6.
Matt.iv. 10.
Matt. iv. 15, 16.
m { Matt. xiii. 14, 15. Actsxxviii. 26. Mark
I iv. 12. Luke viii. 10.
Matt. xix. 5.
Matt. xix. 18, 19.
Matt. xxii. 32. Mark xii. 26. Luke xx, 37.
Matt. xxii. 37. Mark xii. 30. Luke x 27.
Matt. xxvi. 31.
John vi. 31.
John vi. 45.
John xiii. 18.
John xv. 25.
John xix. 36.
John xix. 37.
Actsii. 17. (See Rom. x. 11.)
Acts vii. 3.
Acts vii. 49, 50.
Acts xiii. 47.
Rom. i. 17.
Rom. ii, 24.
VI. Sect. II. 1.] Hebrew Scriptures in the New Testament. 249
No. Chap, and Verse of O. T.
72. Psal. li. 6. nearly agrees with
73. Gen. xv. 6. -
91. Hos. ii. I, (i. 10. of English Version)
93. Isa. i. 9.
94. Isa. viii. 14. - . -7
Isa. xxviii, 16. - - -
97. Isa. lii. 7. .
98. Psal. xix. 5. (4. of English^Version)
99. Deut. xxxii. 21,
100. Isa. Ixv. 1, 2.
101. 1 Kings xix. ]4.
102. 1 Kings xix. 18.
106. Deut. xxxii. 25.
107. Prov. xxv. 21, 22.
111. Deut. xxxii. 42. (43. of English Ver- )
sion) - - -J
115. Isa. xxix. 14.
117. Isa. xl. 13. -
119. Psal. xciv. 11.
124. Isa. xxviii, 11, 12.
127. Gen. ii. 7. -
132. Lev. xxvi. 11, 12.
142. Gen. xxi. 10. - -
143. Psal. Ixviii. 19.
144. Exod. xx. 12.
145.* Psal. xcvii. 7. - -
148. Psal. cii. 2527.
152. Psal. xcv. 7 11.
156. Exod. xxv. 40.
157. Jer. xxxi. 3 1 . 34.
158. Exod. xxiv. S.
166. Psal. cxviii. 6. -
171. Isa. xl. 6 8.
173. Exod. xix. 6. -
1 74. Isa, liii. 9. -
175. Isa. liii. 5.
176. Psal. xxxiv. 1317.
177. Isa. viii. 12, 13. -
178. Prov.x. 12.
179. Psal. ii. 9.
Chap, and Verse of N. T.
Horn. iii. 4.
Rom. iv. 3.
Rom. ix. 26.
Bom. ix. 29.
Rom. ix. 33.
Rom. x, 15-
Rom. x. 18.
Rom. x. 19.
Rom. x. 20, -21.
Rom. xi. 3.
Rom. xi. 4.
Rom. xii. 19. Heb. x. SO.
Rom. xii. 20.
Rom. xv. 10.
1 Cor.i. 19.
1 Cor. ii. 16.
1 Cor. iii. 20.
1 Cor.xiv. 21.
1 Cor. xv. 45.
2 Cor. vi. 16.
Gal. iv. 30.
Eph. iv. 8.
Eph. vi. 2, 3.
Heb. i. 6.
Heb. i. 1012.
Heb. iii. 710.
Heb. viii. 5.
Heb. viii. 812*
Heb. ix. 20.
Heb.xiii. 6.
1 Pet. i. 24, 25.
1 Pet. ii. 9.
1 Pet. ii. 22.
1 Pet. ii. 24.
1 Pet. iii. 1012.
1 Pet. iii, 14, 15.
1 Pet. iv. 8.
Rev, ii. 27.
III. Quotations agreeing with the Hebrew in SENSE but NOT in words*
15.
17.
22.
23.
29.
33.
41.
43.
49,
53.
59.
74,
78.
85.
90.
92.
104,
Isa. xiii. 14.
Psal. Ix xviii. 2.
Zech. ix. 9.
Psal. viii. 3.
Zech. xi. 13.
Exod. xiii. 2.
Zech. ix. 9.
Isa. vi. 9, 10.
Psal. Ixix. 26.
Deut. xviii. 15. 19.
(see Josh, xxiv. 32.)
Psal. xiv. 13.
Isa. lix. 7, 8.
Gen. xviii. 10.
Hos. ii. 23.
Isa. x. 22, 23.
Psal, Ixix, 23, 24.
in sense, but 1
words, with J
Matt. iii. 3. Mark i. 3. and Luke iii. 46,
Matt. xii. 18 21.
Matt. xiii. 35.
Matt, xxi, 5.
Matt. xxi. 16.
Matt, xxvii. 9, 10.
Luke ii. 23.
John xii. 15,
John xii. 40,
Acts i. 20.
Acts iii. 22, 23,
Acts vii. 16.
Rom. iii. 1012,
Rom. iii. 1517.
Rom. ix. 9.
Rom. ix. 25.
Rom, ix. 27, 28.
Rom, xi. 9, 10.
250 ' Classification of Quotations from the [Part I. Ch.
No. Chap, and Verse of O. T. Chap, and Verse of N, T.
mft Isa xiv 03 Jag^ 5 ^ 56 " 86 ' ^1 Rom. xiv. 11.
108. isa, xiv. J3 ^ not in wor d s , with J
113. Isa. xi.10. -- - - Rom. xv. 12.
133. Isa. liii, 1 1, 12. - - 2 Cor. vi. 17.
138. Gen. xii. 3. Ga }- .V 1 ' 8>
139. Deut. xxvii. 2(5. - - Gal. m. 10.
165. Hag. ii, 6. Heb - xii - 26> -
IV. Quotations that give the general Sense t but which abridge or add to it.
5. (Psal.xxii.6. Ixix, 9, }
10. Isa. lii. liii, Zech. > compared with Matt. ii. 23.
xi. 12,13.) )
41. Zech. ix. 9. - - John xii. 15.
f John xii. 40. (and see Matt, xiii.14, 15,
43. Isa. vi, 9, 10. - -< Mark iv. 12. Luke viii. 10. Acts
C xxviii. 26.)
57. Gen, xv. 13, 14. . - Acts vii. 6, 7.
58. Gen. xlvi. 27. - Acts vii. 14.
68. Amos ix. 11, 12/ - - Acts xv. 16, 17-
JOS, Isa- xxix. 10, - - Rom. xi. 8.
168. (Gen. vi. 35.?) - - James iv. 5.
V. Qitotatiojis that are taken from several passages of Scripture.
Sometimes there is such a change made in the quotation, that it is
not easy to ascertain from what particular passage of the Old Testament
it is taken. The instances of this description^ however, in which the
citation is made from several passages of Scripture, are very few. Dr.
Randolph has mentioned only three, to which we have added two others.
.
94, Isa. xxviii. 16. and viii. 14. - Rom. ix. 33.
103. Isa. xxix. 10. (and see Isa. vi. 9. and\ p . .
Ezek.xii.2. - - -/ Horn.*. 8.
82. Zech. ix. 9. (and see Isa. Ixii. 11.) - Matt. xxi. 5*
50. Psal. Ixix. 26. and cix, 8. - - Acts i. 20.
To this head also we may perhaps refer the quotation. No. 5. p. 206. relative to the
Messiah being called a Nazarene.
VI. Qiiotations differing from the Hebrew, but agreeing >with the
Septuagint.
18. Isa. xxix, 13. - compared with Matt, xv. 8,9.
52. Psal. xvi. S 11. - Acts ii. 25 28.
60. Amos v. 2527. - - Acts vii. 42, 43.
65. Isa. Iv. 3. Acts xiii. 34.
98. Psal. xix. 5. (4* of English Version)- Rom. x. 18.
169. Prov. iii. 34* - - James iv. 6,
VI. Sect. II. 2*] Septuagint Version in the New Testament.
VII. Quotations in which there is reason to suspect a different reading
in the Hebrew, or that the Apostles understood the words in a sense
different from that expressed in our Lexicons.
No. Chap, and Verse of O. T.
2. JMIcah^Yt ,2> . - compared with
14."MaU."iu 1 J.
35. *lsa. Ixi. 1/2. .,
62. Isa, liii, 7, & - -
66. Hab. i. 5.
68. Amosix. 11, 12.
77. Psal. x. 7. . -
98. Psal. xix. 5.
105. Isa. lix. 20, 21.
106. Dent, xxxii. 35. -
112. Deut, xxxii. 16. - . -
116. Isa. Ixiv. 3. - -
161. Hab. ii. 3,4. - -
172. Isa. xxviii, 16, -
Chap, and Verse of N. T.
Matt. ii. 6.
Matt. xi. 10. Mark i. 2. Luke vii. 27.
Lukeiv. 18,19.
Actsviii. 32,33.
Actsxiii. 41.
Acts xv. 16, 17.
Rora. iii. 14.
Rom. x, 18.
Rom xi. 26, 27.
Rom, xii 19.
Rom. xv. 10.
1 Cor. ii. 9.
Heb. x. 37, 38*
I Pet. ii. 6.
VIII. Passages in which the Hebrew seems to be corrupted.
2. JVIicah y. 2,_
14. "Maf. iii. 1, ,
52. Pbal. xvi. 8 11.
68. Amos ix. 11, 12.
159. ,PsaL xL -9,
compaied with Matt. ii. 6.
Matt, xi. 10. Mark i. 2. Luke vii. 27*
Acts ii. 25 2S.
Acts xv. 16, 17.
Heb. x. 57.
IX. Passages which are not properly Citation^ but mere References or
illusions.
39. Isa. xii, 3. -
96. Deut. xxx. 12 14.
122. Deut. xxxii. 17.
129. Hos. xiii. 14.
137. Deut. xix. 15,
167. Hos.xiv. 3.
alluded to in
John vii. 38.
Rom. x. 6 8.
1 Cor. x. 20.
1 Cor. xv. 55.
2 Cor. xiii. 1.
Heb. xiii. 15.
To this class also we may most probably refer the allusions in 2 Cor. vi, 18, See p. 235.
and note.
2. CLASSIFICATION OF THE QUOTATIONS FROM THE SEPTUAGINT
VERSION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
ALTHOUGH the sacred authors of the New Testament have in
many instances quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures, as the preceding
tables have shown ; yet it is equally certain that they have very fre-
quently made their citations from the Greek version usually deno-
minated the Septuagint, even where this translation from the Hebrew
is inaccurate, but where the errors are of such a nature as not to
weaken the proofs for which they were alleged. In fact, as the apostles
" Classification of Qiiotationsfrom the [Part I. Ch.
wrot<? for the use of communities who were ignorant of Hebrew, it
w#s"necessary that they should refer to the Greek version, which was
generally known and read. Had they given a new and more ac-
curate translation according to the Hebrew, citing as they often did
from memory, the reader would not have known what passage they
intended to quote : and if, on the other hand, while they retained the
words of the Septuagint, they had taken notice of each inaccuracy,
they would have diverted the reader's attention from the main object
to the consideration of trifles. It must, however, be remarked, that
the writers of the "New Testament appear to have been so careful to
give the true sense of the Old Testament, that they forsook the Sep-
tuagint version, whenever it did not give that sense, so far as they had
occasion to cite it, and these citations often correspond with the
S'esent Hebrew text. The quotations from the Septuagint in the
ew Testament may be classed under the five following heads :
I. Such as agree verbatim with the Septuagint, or only change the
person, number, &c.; II. Quotations taken from the Septuagint, but
with some variation ; III Quotations agreeing with the Septuagint
in sense, but not in words ; IV, Quotations differing from the Septu-
agint, but agreeing exactly, or nearly, with theHebrew; and, V. Quo-
tations which differ both from the Septuagint and from the Hebrew,
and are probably taken from some other translation or paraphrase.
I. Quotations agreeing verbatim with tlie Septuagint^ or only changing
the person^ number^ fyc.
No. Chap, and Verse of O. T. Chap, and Verse of N. T.
7. Deut. viii. 3, - agrees with Matt. iv. 4. Luke iv. 4.
9, Deut. vi. 16. - - - Matt. iv. 7.
13. Hos.vi. 6. - - Matt. ix. IS. xii. 17,
20. Exod, xx. 1216. - - Matt. xix. 18, 19.
21. Lev. xix. 18. - -, - Matt. xix. 19, xxii. 39.
23* Psal.viii. 2. - Matt, xxu 16.
24, Psal. cxviii. 22, 23. - - / Matt ' S ? K 42 ' Mark xiil 10 ' Luke xx '
' \ 17. Acts iv. 11.
25, Exod. Hi. 6. - Matt. xxii. 32. Markxii. 26. Luke xx. 37.
27. Psal. ex. 1. ... Matt.xxii.44. Markxii. 36, Luke xx, 42.
28. Zech. xiii. 7. - - - Matt. xxvi. 31.
30. Psal. xxi. IS. - - Matt, xxvii. 35. John xix. 24.
36. Psal. Ix viii. 9. - - John ii, 17.
40. Psal. Ixxxii. 6. John x. 34.
42. Isa. liii. 1. - - Johnxii. 38.
49. Psal. cix. 8. - Acts i. 20.
52. Psal. xvi. 8 11. - . Acts ii. 25 28.
55. Psal. ii. 1,2. - - . Acts iv, 25, 26.
58. Gen. xlvi. 27. - - Acts vii. 14.
64. Psal. ii. 7. Acts xiii. 33*
67. Isa. xlix. 6. - - Acts xiii. 47,
69. Exod. xxii. 28. - - Acts xxiii. 5.
72. PsalJi. 4. - - . Rora.iii. 4.
75. Psal. v. 9. - - - Rom. iii. 13.
76. Psal. cxxxix. 3. (cxl. 3. of English } _
Bible) - - -J Bom. HI. 13.
77. Psal. x. 7. - - - Rom. Hi. 14*
79. PsaLxxxv. 1. (xxxvi. 1. of English?
Bible) - - -J Rom. m. 18.
73, Gen. xv, 6, - - .. Rom.iv. 3.
80. Psal, xxxii. 1,2. - . R m, iv. 7 7 8:
VI. Sect. II. J 2.] Septuagint Version in the New Testament,
No. Chap, and Verse of O, T.
Chap, and Verse of N. T,
81. Gen. xvii. 5. - agrees with
Rom. iv. 1 7.
82. Gen. xv, 5.
Rom, iv. 18.
S3. Psal. xliv. 22.
Rom, viii. 36.
84. Gen. xxi. 12.
Rom. ix. 7.
86. Gen. xxv. 3.
Rom. ix. 1 2.
87. Mai. i. 2, 3.
Rom, ix. 1 3.
88. Exod. xxxiii. 19.
Rom, ix. 15.
91. Hos. i. 10. -
Rom. ix. 26.
93, Isa. i. 9.
Rom.ix. 29.
95. Lev, xviii. 5.
Rom. x. 5.
98. Paal. xix. 4.
Rom, x. 18.
99. Deut. xxxii. 21.
Rom. x. 19.
100. Isa. Ixv. 1,2.
Rom.x. 20,21.
107. Prov. xxv. 21, 22.
Rom, xii, 20.
109. Psal. Ixix. 9.
Rom, xv. 3.
110. Psal. xviii. 49.
Rom. xv. 9.
111. Deut. xxxii. 43.
Rom, xv. 10.
112. Psal. cxvii. 1.
Rom. xv. 11.
114. Isa. lii. 15. -
Rom. xv. 2 1 .
120. Deut. xxxv. 4.
1 Cor. ix. 9.
121, Exod. xxxii. 6.
1 Cor. x, 7.
123. Psal. xxiv. 1.
1 Cor. x. 26.
125. Psal. viii. 6.
1 Cor. xv. 27.
126. Isa. xxii. 13,
1 Cor. xv. 32.
130. Psal. cxvi. 10.
2 Cor. iv. 13.
131. Isa.xlix. 8.
2 Cor. vi. 2.
136. Psal. cxii. 9.
2 Cor. ix. 9.
141. Isa. liv. 1.
Gal. iv. 27.
145. 2 Sam, vii. 14.
Heb. i. 5.
145* Deut. xxxii. 43.
Heb.i. 6.
14S. Psal. civ. 4.
Heb. i. 7.
147. PsaUxlv. 6,7.
Heb. i. 8, 9.
148. Psal. cii. 25 27.
Heb.i. 1012.
149. Psal. viii. 46.
Heb. ii. 6 S.
353. Gen.ii. 3. -
Heb. iv. 4.
1 54, Psal. ex. 4.
Heb. v. 6.
155. Gen. xxii. 16,17.
Heb. vi. 13,14.
160. Deut. xxxii. 36.
Heb. x. 30.
161. Hab. H. 3,4.
Heb.x. 37,38.
162. Gen. xlvii. 31.
Heb. xi. 21.
163. Prov. iii. 11.
Heb. xii. 5.
164. Deut. xxxi. 8.
Heb. xiii. 5.
166. Psal. cxviii. 6.
Heb. xiii. 6.
167. Hos. xlv. 2.
Heb. xiii. 15.
173. Exod. xix. 6.
1 Pet. ii. 9.
175. Isa. liii. 5.
1 Pet, ii. 24,
176. Psal. xxxlv. 12 16.
1 Pet, iii. 1012.
II. Quotations taken from tlie Septuagint., but toitfi some Variation.
These variations, however, are immaterial, consisting occasionally^
1. Of additions of words., to render the sense more explicit to the
Gentiles ; 2. Of omissions of words, where the insertion of them
was not necessary to prove the point for which they were adduced ;
3. Of synonymous changes, substituting other words of the
same import for the exact words of the Sep-tuagint, which might
easily be done, citing, as the Apostles sometimes did, from memory ;
4. Of transpositions of words ; 5* Of changes of proper
names into appellatives ; and, 6. Of occasional alterations in the
254
Classification of Quotations from the [Part I. Ch.
divisions of sentences. But in all
variably given.
No. Chap, and Verse of 0. T.
1. Isa. vii. 14. - compared with
8. Psal.xci. 11, 12.
]0. Deut. vi. 13.
16. Isa. vi. 9 11.
18. Isa. xxix. 13.
19. Gen. ii. 24. "
29. Zech. xi. 13.
35. Isa. hi. 1,2.
37. Psal. Ixxviii. 24.
47. Exod. xii46.
51. Joelii. 28 32.
54. Gen. xxii. IB.
56, Gen. 12. 1.
. 60. Ainos v. 25, 26.
62. Isa.liii.7.
65. Isa. Iv. 3.
70, Hab. ii. 4,
71. Isa. lii. 5,
74. Psal.xiv, 13.
84. Exod. ix. 16,
94. Isa.viii. 44. xxviii. 16.
104. Psal. Ixix, 22, 23.
105. Isa. Hx. 20, 21.
113. Isa. xi, 10.
115. Isa. xxix, 14.
117. Isa. xl. 13.
119. Psal. xciv. 11.
122. Deut. xxxii. 17.
127. Gen. ii. 7.
129, Hos. xiii, 14.
132. Lev. xxvi. II, 12.
135. Exod. xvi. 18.
137. Deut. xix. 15.
138. Gen. xil 3. xviii. 18.
142. Gen. xxi. 10.
144. Exod, xx, 12.
150. Psal. xxii. 22.
151. Isa. viii. 17,18.
152. Psal. xcv. 711.
156. Exod. xxv. 40.
159. Psal. xl. 69.
169. Prov. iii. 34.
171. Isa. xl. 68.
172. Isa. xxviii. 16.
174. Isa. liii. 9.
177. Isa. viii. 12, 13.
these sentences the sense is in-
Chap. and Verse of N. T.
Matt. i. 23.
Matt. iv. 6.
Matt. iv. 10.
Matt. xiii. 14, 15, Acts xxviii. 26, 27,
Markiv, 12. Luke viii. 10.
Matt. xv. 8, 9.
Matt, xix. 5,
Matt, xxvii. 9, 10.
Lukeiv. 18,19.
John vi. 3 1 .
John xix. 36.
Actsii. 17 21,
Acts iii. 25-
Acts vii. 3.
Acts vii. 42, 43.
Acts viii, 33,33.
Acts xiii. 34.
Rom. i. 17.
Rom. ii, 24.
Rom. iii. 10 12,
Rom. ix. 17.
Rom. ix. 33.
Rom. xi. 9, 10.
Rom. xi. 26, 27,
Rom. xv. 1 2.
1 Cor.i. 19.
1 Cor.ii. 16.
1 Cor. iii. 20.
1 Cor. x. 20.
1 Cor. xv. 45.
1 Cor. xv. 55.
2 Cor. vi. 1 6.
2 Cor. viii. 15.
2 Cor. xiii. 1.
Gal. iii. 8.
Gal. iv. 30.
Eph. vi. 2, 3.
Heb. ii. 1 2.
Heb, ii, IS.
Heb. iii. 7 10,
Heb. viii. 5.
Heb. x. 57.
James iv. 6.
1 Pet. i, 24, 25.
1 Pet. ii. 6.
1 Pet. ii. 22.
1 Pet. iii. 14,15.
III. Quotations agreeing &itli the Septuagint in SENSE but NOT in
Words*
4. Jer. xxxi. 15. / a S re ? sin sense, but >
L not in words, with 3
6. Isa. xl. 25.
17. Psal. Ixxviii. 2.
26, Deut vi. 5.
32. Isa. liii. 12.
33. Exod* xiii. 2.
34. Lev. xii. 8.
Matt. ii. 1 ! ,
Matt. iii. 3. Mark i. 3. Luke iii. 4 6,
Matt. xiii. 35.
Matt. xxii. 37. Markxii. 30. Lukcx.27*
Mark xv. 28* Luke xxii, 37.
Luke ii. 23.
Luke ii, 24.
VI. Sect. II. J 2.] Septuagint Version in the New Testament. 255
No. Chap, and Verse of O. T.
Chap, and Verse of N. T.
38. Isa. liv. 13. / a S rees sense, but!
(^ not in words, with f
41. Zcch. ix. 9. - .
John vi. 45.
Johnxii. 15.
44. Psal. xli. 9.
- -
Johnxiii. 18.
45. Psal. cix. 3.
_
John xv. 25.
48. Zech, xii. 10.
-
John xix. 37.
50. Psal. Jxix, 25.
.
Acts i. 20.
53. Deut. xviii. 15. 19.
Acts iii. 22, 23.
57. Gen. xv. 13, 14.
_
Acts vii. 6, 7.
61. Isa. Ixvi. 1,2.
-
Acts vii. 49, 50.
68. Amos ix. 11, 12.
_
Acts xv. 16, 17.
78. Isa. lix. 7, 8.
_
Rom. iii. 15 17.
85. Gen. xviii. 10.
._
Rom. ix. 9.
90, Hos. ii. 23.
.
Rom. ix. 25.
92. Isa. x. 22, 23.
_
Rom. ix. 27, 28.
101. 1 Kings xix. 14.
Rom. xi. 3.
103. Isa. xxix. 10.
_
Rom. xi. 8.
108. Isa. xlv. 23.
_
Rom. xiv. 11.
118. Job v. 13.
,
1 Cor. iii. 1 9.
133. Isa. lii. 11,12.
.
2 Cor. vi. 17.
139. Deut. xxvii. 27. (26 of
sion )
English Ver-1
Gal. iii. 10.
140. Deut. xxi. 23.
_
Gal, iii. 13.
157. Jer. xxxi. 31 34.
-
Heb. viii. 812.
158. Exod. xxiv. 8.
_
Heb. ix. 20.
165. Hag. ii. 6.
_
Heb. xii. 26.
179. Psal. ii. 9-
"
Rev. ii. 27.
IV. Quotations differing from the Septuagint^ but agreeing exactly ^ or
nearly, *with the Hebrew*
There are several instances of an evidently intentional renunci-
ation of the Septuagint version, in order to adhere to the Hebrew
original: these instances occur when the Septuagint so materially
differs from the Hebrew, as to render the passage unsuitable to the
purpose for which the sacred writer produced the quotation, or where
it is palpably erroneous. The number of these departures from the
Septuagint is eleven ,- viz.
3. Hos. xi. 1.
4. Jer. xxxi. 15*
12. Isa. liii, 4.
22, Zcch. ix. 9.
31. Psal. xxii. \.
95. Isa. lii. 7.
102. 1 Kings xix. 18.
118. Jobv. 13.
128. Isa. xxv. 8,
170. Lev. xi. 44.
178. Prov. x. 12.
cited in
Matt. ii. 15.
Matt. ii. 18.
Matt. viii. 17.
Matt. xxi. 5.
Matt, xxvii. 46.
Rom. x. 15.
Rom. xi. 4.
iCor. iii. 19.
1 Cor. xv. 54.
1 Pct-i. 16.
1 Pet. iv, 8,
V. Quotations which differ both from the 'Septuagint and from the
.Hebrew, and are probably taken from some other translation^ or
paraphrase or were so rendered by the sacred writers themselves.
cited in
2. Micahv. 2.
6. Isa. xl. 35.
11. Isa. ix. 1,2.
Matt. ii. 6.
Matt. iii. 3, Mark i. 3. Luke iii. 4 6,
Matt.iv. 15,16.
256
Games of the seeming Discrepancies in the [Part I. Ch.
No. Chap, and Verse of 0. T.
14. Mai. iii. 1. - cited in
15. Isa, xlii. 14.
41. Zech. ix. 9.
53. Deut. xviii. 15. 19.
66. Hab. i. 5.
85. Gen, xviii. 10.
90. Hos. ii. 23.
92. Isa. x. 22, 23,
96. Deut. xxx. 12 14.
101. 1 Kings xix. 14.
106 Deut. xxxii. 35.
116. Isa. lxiv.4.
124. Isa. xxviii. 11,12.
139. Deut. xxvii. 27.
143. PsaUxviii. 18.
158. Exod. xxiv. 8. -
Chap, and Verse of N. T.
Matt. xi. 10. Marki. 2. Lukcvii. 27.
Matt. xii. 18 21.
John xii. 1 5.
Acts iii. 22, 23.
Actsxiii. 41.
Rom. ix. 9.
Horn. ix. 25.
Rom. ix. 27, 28.
Rom. x. 6 8.
Rom, xi. 3.
Rom. xii. 19. (and see Heb. x. 30.)
1 Cor. ii. 9.
1 Cor. xiv. 21.
Gal. iii. 10.
Eph. iv, 8.
Heb. ix. 20.
3. CONSIDERATIONS O*N THE PROBABLE CAUSES OF THE SEEMING
DISCREPANCIES IN THE QUOTATIONS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT
IN THE NEW.
a comparison of the quotations from the Old Testament in
the New, it is obvious that in the Epistles^ which were addressed
generally to churches consisting of converted Hellenists (that is
Greek Jews), or Gentiles, or of both, the quotations are uniformly
made from the Septuagint version, or with express reference to it,
except where some important reason induced the sacred writer to
deviate from it : for the Septuagint was the only version generally
known in those churches, whose members were mostly strangers to
the Hebrew. There are, however, some apparent contradictions in
the quotations from the Old Testament in the New, the reconcili-
ation of which has much engaged the attention of learned men,
who have assigned various causes to account for, or explain such
discrepancies. These it may be useful briefly to consider, before
we discuss the mode in which the sacred writers of the New Testa-
ment apply their quotations from the Old Testament. The causes
of the differences in these quotations may be reduced to three, viz.
1. Sophistications or corruptions of the Hebrew text; 2. Various
Readings, or differences in copies; and, 3. Oiir ignorance of the
correct meaning of particular texts.
1. The instances of Sophist i cation^ or corruption of the Hebrew-
text, are comparatively few, and are only nine in number, as we have
already seen 1 ; the comparison of manuscripts and versions alone can
enable the critic to determine the true reading.
2. Various Readings in the manuscript copies of the Greek Bible,
used by the sacred writers of the New Testament, are another
cause of the apparent contradictions in the quotations made in it
from the Old Testament; and these manuscripts might differ from
those which we have at present. Professor Micbaelis likewise thinks
See VIII. p. 251. supra.
VI, Sect. I. 4.] Quotations from the Old Testament? 257
it possible that, in those cases where the quotations are materially
different, another translation might have been added in the Septua-
gint as a marginal note, in the same manner as we find in the Hexapla
of Origen, under the name of AAoc. The Proverbs of Solomon, he
observes, present instances where the same Hebrew words are twice
translated; which can be explained on no other supposition, than
that one of them was originally a marginal note, which has insen-
sibly crept into the text itself. l
3. Another cause of the apparent discrepancy occurring in the
quotations from the Old Testament in the New, may arise from our
not understanding particular Hebrew texts or words : a few such
instances have already been noticed. 2 But this is only a temporary
cause the researches of commentators and critics (which the pre-
ceding tables have- tended to confirm) have shown that the writers of
the New Testament express the true sense, though not the sense
generally attributed to the Hebrew : and in proportion as such re-
searches are more diligently prosecuted, and our knowledge of the
original languages of the Scriptures is increased, these difficulties
will gradually and certainly diminish.
4. It is further to be observed that the very same quotations are
often contracted by some of the evangelists and as often enlarged by
others. This difference in quoting may be accounted for by the
different occasions on which they are introduced, and the different
ends which they were intended to serve. Thus Luke, who wrote his
Gospel for the instruction of Gentile converts, quotes (iii. 4 6.) not
less than three verses from the prophet Isaiah 8 ; while Matthew (iii. 3.)
and Mark (i. 3.) quote only lliejfirst of them. But it was necessary
to Luke's purpose that he should proceed so far, in order to assure
the Gentiles, that they were destined to be partakers of the privi-
leges of the Gospel, and to see the salvation of God. On the other
hand, Matthew (xiii. 14, 15.) and Paul (Acts xxviii. 26, 27.) when
reproving the Jews for their incredulity, which Isaiah had long before
predicted, introduced the prophecy at full length, whereas Mark
(iv. 1 1, 12.) and Luke (viii. 10.) only refer to it briefly. Mark, whose
Gospel was written for a mixed society of Jewish and Gentile con-
verts, has many peculiarities belonging to him, which are not specified
by the other evangelists. Of these peculiarities, we have an instance
in his manner of citing the passage of Isaiah just noticed. The verse
in his Gospel runs thus :
To/s fifty & wopajSoXa;? ret, lecwia, yweraf 'Iva,
Unto them that are without all these things are done in pa-
rables : That seeing, they may see and not perceive ; and hearing, they may
hear and not understand ; lest at any tine they should be converted, and
their sins should be forgiven them.
In order to engage the Jews the more effectually to adopt and obey
his Gospel, Mark has not only inserted in it more Hebrew or rather
i Marsh's Michaelis, vol. I. p. 235.
a See 2. VII. p, 251. supra.
* See the passages of Isaiah and Luke at length, in p. 206. No, 6.
VOL. ir. s
258 Causes of the seeming Discrepancies in tlie [Part I. Ch.
Syro-Chaldaic phrases than all the other evangelists together; but in
the verse here given, he has forsaken both the Hebrew and Greek of
Isa. vi. 11. (in our translation truly rendered and I mil heal them 1 ),
and has quoted the Chaldee Paraphrase, which he translated for
himself, * a$eS>] awroif ra a^apr^ara, and their sins should be for-
given them ; and which thus probably became more intelligible to the
Gentiles also. Now these particular variations are so far from being
disparagements to the Gospels, that they are in reality the excellen-
cies and ornaments of them. They are such variations only, as these
different converts, of different conceptions, required to have made,
for their obtaining a true and right knowledge of the Old Testament
prophecies. 2 A similar mode of citation is pursued by the illustrious
apostle, Paul, who does not mention or allege the law and the Pro-
phets in one and the same manner to Jews and Gentiles. Thus, to
Felix, the Roman governor, he says of himself (Acts xxiv. 14.) Be-
lieving all things which are written in the law and the prophets. But
to king Agrippa (xxvi. 22.) Saying none other things than those which
the prophets and Moses did say should come. And thus he distin-
guishes in his Epistles. In that to the Hebrews are many passages
from the Old Testament, but not a single instance in which it is
quoted as written. But in his other Epistles he rarely uses any other
form than, It is written, or TJfe Scripture saith. Thus he cites it to
the Romans ; the chief variations from which mode to that of He
smth., are in the three chapters, ix. x. xi. which principally relate to
the Jews ; and even there he seldom fails to name the prophet whose
words are adduced, To the Galatians, and in both Epistles to the
Corinthians, with one or two exceptions, he urges the words of the
Old Testament as written. To the Philippians, Colossians, and
Thessalonians, if we mistake not, he makes no direct quotation from
it. In the Epistle to the Ephesians he refers to it twice, and there
indeed in both places under the form of He saith. But he himself
had spent above two years in teaching them with the utmost diligence
and attention (Acts xix. 8. 10.), and wrote his Epistle to them some
years after ; when he might have full assurance that he spoke to those
who knew the law. A passage in this epistle, compared with a similar
one in that to the Colossians, seems to prove that he made a difference
between them, and judged the Ephesians to be better versed in the
sacred books. To these he proposes the precept of obedience to
parents with a view to the Mosaic promise: (Eph. vi. 13.) Children,
obey your parents in the Lord ; Jbr this is right. HONOUR THY
PATHER AND MOTHER; WHICH IS THE FIRST COMMANDMENT WITH
PROMISE. But he omits this reference to the words of the Deca-
logue, in giving the same precept to the Colossians ; with whose
proficiency in the Scriptures he was less acquainted, as having never
been among them. He says only (Col. iii. 20.) Children obey your
parents in all things ; for this is well pleasing unfa the Lord.
Thus we see that St. Paul has one mode of citing the Old Testa-
ment to the Hebrews, arid another to the churches of which the
1 See the passages of Isaizih and of the Evangelists cited^ P- 209. ItfaTlfr
s Dr. Owen, on the Modes of Quotation used by the Evangelical Writers, pp, 858 7
VI. Sect. I. 4.] Quotations from the Old Testament. 259
Gentiles were members; that in the former case he agrees with
Matthew, in the latter with Mark and Luke. And in this respect
there is so much uniformity in the Apostle and two Evangelists, that
we may justly conclude, it was not accidental, but designed by him
and them, for the same purpose of suiting their style to the small
measure of scriptural knowledge which they might well suppose many
of their readers to possess. By which means the unlearned or newly
converted Gentiles were instructed, that what was offered to them as
the word of God which came in old time, was to be found hxthe books
of Scripture ; and, if Judaisers crept in and perplexed them with
doctrines of an oral or traditionary law, they were furnished with
this reply to such teachers : " When the Apostles and Evangelists,
who have been our more immediate guides, propose to us any part
of the Mosaic economy, they allege only what is wrztte?i, and what
they carefully inform us to be so." *
We have dwelt the longer on this subject, not only on account of
its importance in illustrating the external form of the quotations of
the Old Testament by the Evangelists and Apostles, but also because
it furnishes us with an additional instance of those simple notes of
authenticity, with which the New Testament abounds, and which the
genius of forgery could never have devised.
Upon the whole, then, as it respects the external form of quota-
tions from the Old Testament, it may be observed that the writers
of the New Testament did not make it a constant rule to cite from
the Greek version, because there are many places in which their
quotations diifer from that version, and agree with the Hebrew. 2
And as their quotations now correspond with the Hebrew, very fre-
quently in express words 3 , and generally in the sense 4 ; so it is highly
probable that they uniformly agreed at first, and that, where the He-
brew was properly expressed in the Greek version, they used the
words of that version. But where it materially varied from the
meaning of the Hebrew Scriptures, they either gave the sense of
the passage cited in their own words ; or took as much of the Sep-
tuagint as suited their purpose, introducing the requisite alterations.
Hence several passages are neither direct quotations from the Hebrew
text, nor quotations from the Septuagint 5 ; and some, as we have
already seen, agree with the latter even where it varies from the
former, but only where the deviation does not so affect the mean-
ing of the passage as to interfere with the pertinency of the quotation
for the purpose intended. " All this accords to what ordinary
writers, in similar circumstances, would have done, and, in fact s have
been authorised to do: but the sacred penmen, being themselves
divinely inspired, might take liberties which we must not; because
their comments were equally the Word of God with the texts com-
mented on." 6
1 I>r. Townson's Discourses on the Four Gospels, disc. 4. sect, ii. ("Worksj vol. i.
pp. 101, 102.)
3 See 3. IV. p. 255. supra. s See 2, I. and II. pp. 247249. supra.
* See S. Ill, IV. pp. 249, 250. supra. 5 See 3. V, p. 255, 256. supra.
6 The Rev. T. Scott, on the Authority of the Septuagint, in the Christian Observer for
J3IO, vol. ix. p. 102.
s 2
260 On the Internal form of Quotations* [Part I. Ch.
SECTION II.
ON THE INTERNAL FORM OF QUOTATIONS, OR THE MODE IN WHICH
CITATIONS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT ARE APPLIED IN THE NEW.
General Observations on the Rabbinical and other modes of quoting the Old
Testament Classification of the Quotations in the Netu Testament:
I Quotations from the Old Testament in the New, in which the predic-
tions are literally accomplished ; II. Quotations in which that is said
to have been done, of which the Scriptures have not spoken in a literal
but in a spiritual sense ; III. Quotations made by the Sacred Writers
in the ixay of Illustration ; IV. Quotations and other passages from
the Old Testament which are alluded to in the Ne 1 .
IN considering the passages of the Old Testament, which have been
introduced by the apostles and evangelists into the writings of the
New, " there is often a difficulty with respect to the application of
such quotations; when they are applied to a purpose to which they
^^Johave^jo relation, according to their original design. This
difficulty arises from the "writers' of the New Testament making quo-
tations from the Old with very different views : and it can be removed
only by attending to their real view in a particular quotation." An
accurate distinction, therefore, must be made between such quotations
as, being merely borrowed, are used as the words of the writer him-
self, and such as are quoted in proof of a doctrine, or the completion
of a prophecy.
Michaelis 1 has remarked, that whenever a book is the subject of
our daily reading, it is natural that its phrases should occur to us in
writing sometimes with a perfect recollection of the places whence
they are taken, and at other times when the places themselves have
totally escaped our memory. Thus, the lawyer quotes the maxims
of the law : the scholar, his favorite classics; and the divine, the pre-
cepts of the Gospel. It is no wonder, therefore, if the same has
happened to the writers of the New Testament; who being daily oc-
cupied in the study of the Old Testament, unavoidably adopted its
modes of expression, and especially of the Greek Septuagint, which
they have borrowed, and applied to their own use in various ways
and for various purposes.
^ The quotations from the Old Testament in the New are generally
introduced by certain formula?, such as, TJiqt it might to filffled---
&*J^ * ai &J^Si*l 9 &c. 5 - and various rules have been
framed m order to account for their application. It has been ob-
served by the same great philologist, that the writers of the New
Testament quote in general like the Rabbins, without mentiomW
the place whence the quotation is taken; as they pre-suppose the
^to^^^Il acquainted with the Old Testament, as to be
able to find it without particular direction. The Rabbins select
some principal word out of each section, and apply that name to the
1 Intoduction to the New Testament, vol. i. pp, 20Q 203.
VI. Sect. II.] On the Internal Form of Quotations. 261
section itself, in the same manner as the Mohammedans distinguish
the suras or chapters of their Koran, saying, in Eli, in Solomon,
when they intend to signify the sections where those names are men-
tioned. For instance, Rashi, in his remarks on Hosea ix. 9. (TJiey
Jiave deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah\ says
"Some are of opinion that this is Gibeah of Benjamin in the concu-
bine" that is, is mentioned in the chapter of the concubine, or Judges
xix. And in this manner quotations are sometimes made in the
New Testament. Thus, in Mark xii. 26. and Luke xx. 37. em ryg
PCITQV (in or at the bush), signifies, " in the section relating to the
burning bush," which, according to the modern division, is the third
chapter of Exodus. Again, in Rom.xi. 2. sv HAia (in Elias) signi-
fies " in the section in which the actions of Elias are recorded ;"
which at present forms the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth
chapters of the first book of Kings. I
Another very frequent practice of the Rabbins was, to produce only
the initial words of a quoted passage, while those are omitted in which
the force of the argument consists, or the absence of which destroys
the connection. Of this description are the quotations in Rom.vii.7.
and xiii. 9. (Thou shalt not covet), in which the Apostle leaves us to
supply the following words contained in Exod. xx. 1 7. Thau, shalt
not covet thy neighbour's *wife, &c. Similar instances are to be found
in Rom. xi. 27. and Heb. ii. 13. Q
The formulae (as it is written, that it might be fulfilled, it hath been .
&c. &c.) with which the quotations in the New Testament are
generally introduced, have been supposed by Surenhusius 3 , (\to whose
learned researches biblical students are most deeply indebted) to be
the JBfeatjons^of^the ^ ^p%5 jn whid^ Jhey are expressed^ so that by
attending to these formulae, we may easily know why Uie evangelists
allege the subsequent words in one certain manner rather than in
another ; and why they depart more or less from, the Hebrew text.
Agreeably to this hypothesis Surenhusius has, with infinite labour
and industry, collected a great variety of rules 4 out of the Talmud
1 Michaelis, vol. i. pp. 243, 244* 133, 134. 492. Upon the same rule, Michaelis thinks,
the supposed contradiction between Mark ii. 26. and 1 Sam. xxi. 1. may be explained
" in the chapter of Abiathar," or, in that part of the books of Samuel in which the his-
tory of Abiathar is related. This explanation, Rosenmuller very justly remarks, would
be preferable to any other, if Mark had added the expression it is written, or the Scripture
saith. Scholia in N. T. torn, i, p. 573. edit. 1801. See also Kuinb'sl on Markii. 26,
Coram, in Libros N, T. Historicos, torn. ii. p. 32.
2 Michaelis, vol. i. pp. 244 246-
3 In the preface to his " B*j9A.os Kara\\ayii5 m . in quo, secundum veterum Theologorum ^
Hebrseorum Formulas allegandi et inodos interpretandi, conciliantur loca ex Veteri in
Novo Testamento allegata." 4to. Amst. 1713. The words of Professor Suretthusius
are as follow : " Etenini omni in loco ex V* T. in JV 7 ". allegato recte concttiando, videndum
est prius, qua, allegandi formula utantur djwstoli $ ex qua statim dignoscere licet, quare
sequentia verba hoc, et non alio tnodo, allegaverint, atque ad veterem Scripturam &ebr&ain
plusve minusve attenderint. Sic aliuni sensum inwliM tila attegandi formula Ep/nj$i?;
alium Teypwirrai ; alium, Ivo. ir\npudi] ro pydcv ; alium EwAij/Mijft? i) ypcujnj, <c.
4 The following are the principal theses or rules laid down by Surenhusius, whose work,
it may be proper to remark, deserves a place in the library of every biblical student, on
account of its learned illustration of many passages of Scripture not immediately con-
nected with the quotations from the Old Testament.
1. Sometimes the words are read, not according to the regular vowel-points, but agree-
S 3
262 On the Internal Form of Quotatio?is. [Part I. Ch.
and the Rabbinical writings, and has illustrated them with numerous
extracts, in order to explain and justify all the quotations made from
the Old Testament in the New. But what militates against this
hypothesis is, that we find, that the very same quotations, expressed
In the same words, and brought to prove the very same points, are
introduced by different formulae in different gospels. A further ob-
jection to the rules adduced by Surenhusius, is their number and
their complexity, which render it difficult to refer all the quotations
accurately to them. It is therefore not only more convenient, but
more intrinsically useful, to refer the citations from the Old Testament
in the New to the four following classes, which have been adopted,
with some alteration, from Rosenmiiller T , after Gusset and Wolfius,
According to these critics, the phrases, that it might be fulfilled, as it is
written, &c. &c. may be properly applied in the New Testament,
k ^^jSfJiing.frf dieted^ is literally .Qwompli$fod ,
II. l^^thatis done, of which the Scripture has spoken*. mk in.a.
literal^ ^ wz -^ .spiEitual sense. ,,
III^ When a thing is done, neither in a literal nor in a
sense, ^?^?w^?o^J^_r^r7-?^o in the Scriptures; but is
Wthatfdct^ 2Vjw^fK^^ffl^i Wg^9^fc>eri(?i quotations
in the way of illustration,
ably to others substituted for them. Instances of this sort, Surenhusius is of opinion, are
to be found in Acts iii, 22, 23. and vii. 42, &c. 1 Cor. xv. 54. and 2 Cor, viii. 15.
2. Sometimes letters are changed, as in Rom. ix. 33. 1 Cor. ix. 9, &c. Heb, viii, 9.
and x. 5.
3. Sometimes both letters and towel-points are changed, as in Actsxiii. 40, 41. and
2 Cor. viii. 15.
_ 4. Sometimes words are added from a parallel passage, or are changed in the quota-
tion 5 which words appear as if the whole occurred in the cited text, as in Horn. xi. 3.- xv.
10. 1 Cor. xv. 45. 2 Cor. vi. 16. Eph. v, 14. and Heb.xii. 12, 13.
5. Sometimes additional words are inserted to complete the sense, as in Matt. iv. 10*
xxi, 5. John vi. 49. xii. 38. and Rom, x. 6.
6. Sometimes several passages are abridged together, in order to make the subject more
clear : as m Matt, xxi. 5. Lukeiv. 18, 19. John viii. 5, &c*
7. Sometimes the beginnings of verses are only added, for the sake of brevity, although
the sacred writer refers to the whole passage, which he paraphrases. Instances of this sort
occur in Actsi. 20. Rom. xi. 27. Heb. iii and iv. and x.
8. Some passages are cited, either allegorically, or by way of simple proof, in which
case the subject cannot be proved, unless the passage cited be compared with others, and
illustrated, as in Rom. ix. 12, 13. x. 8. and Heb, iv. 5, 6.
9. Sometimes one and the same passage is cited to prove many things, and is applied to
*i Some times a subject is intended to be proved by several passages, though one only
IS adduced, the reader being left to find them out, as in Acts xv. 1 5, 16.
hrfnl" * Q la ? St laUS ? S f a V / rse nly are sometiraes ted, the intermediate clauses
being omitted. See Eph. v. 14., and 1 Pet. i. 24, 25.
nnih" S - metimes a P assa g e . is sim Ply adduced without any formula of quotation, and then
ano her intervenes parenthetically; which being cited, the sacred writer returns to the fin I
SSlaTSt J!^ 1 illus ? ate ! in a vari ^ ^ particulars. Thus St. Paul, in
xx 13 xiv" 23 and Dt ^4 A* inter P oses ferences to Exod,xvii,2. Numb,
J Scholia in Nov. Test, torn, i. p, 25.
VI. Sect. II.] On the Internal Form of Quotations. 263
IV. WJien the sacred writers have made simple allusions to passages
in the Old Testament?-
In the following tables, the quotations are arranged under each
class, to which they appear respectively to belong. Some of the
references, perhaps, may be disputable; and in some, it is possible
that the author maybe mistaken: but as they are the result of a
laborious and patient comparison of every prophecy or citation, in
classifying which he could have but little assistance, he trusts he may
be allowed to say, that he has exerted the best of his judgment, and
to indulge the hope that he has not misapplied the quotations in any
essential point.
I. Of Quotations from the Old Testament in the Ne*w } in which the
things predicted are literally accomplished,
Direct prophecies are those which relate to Christ and the Gospel, and
to them alone, and which cannot be taken in any other sense : and the
Scripture is said to be fulfilled in the literal sense, when that event which
it foretells is accomplished. The quotations from the Old Testament in
the New, which belong to this class, are both numerous and highly im-
portant. Such are those which mention the calling of the Gentiles and
the everlasting kingdom of Messiah : such also is the 11 Oth Psalm, which,
it has been well remarked, is as plain as a prophetic description ought to
be. It is applicable to Christ alone, and it sets forth his exaltation, his
royal dignity, his priestly office, the propagation of his Gospel, the obedi-
ence of his subjects ; the destruction of his enemies, and of the Roman
emperors who persecuted his church.^
Other examples of this description will be found in the following quo-
tations, the references in which are made to the authorised English version
of the Bible. 3
Gcn,xiL3. xviii. IS. xxii. 18. quoted in Acts Hi. 25. Gal. iii. 8.
Gen. xvii. 7. 19. xxii. 16, 17. - - Luke i. ,55. 72, 73, 74^
Deut, xviii. 15, 19. - - - Acts iii. 22, 23.
"Paul. ii. 1, 2. - - - Acts iv. 25, 26.
Psal.ii. 7. - - . Actsxiii. 33. Heb. i. 5. v. 5.
Psal, viii. 2. - - Matt. xxi. 16.
1W. viii. 4 G. - - Hcb. ii. G 8.
- Psal. xvi. 8 11. - - - Acts ii. 25 28. 31.
- Psal. xvi. 10. - - Actsxiii. 35.
Psal. xxii. 1. - - - Matt, xxvii. 46. Mark xv. 34.
_ { Matt. xxvii. 35. Mark xv, 24. Lukexxiii,34
Psal. xxii, 18. - - | John xix . 24.
Psal, xxii, 22. - - - Heb. ii. 12.
Psal. xxxi, 5, Luke xxiii. 4G,
Paal, xli. 9. - - John xiii. IS. Acts i. 16.
Psal. xlv. 0, 7. - - - Hcbj.i. 8^
PsaUxviu. IB. - - Kph, iv. 7, 8.
f John xix. 28, 29. Matt. 27.48. Markxv.
Psal. Ixix. 21. - "1 36. and Luke xxiii, 36.
i The fourth claslmentioned by Koscnmlillor, Gusset, and Wolnus, is as follows :
Whcm that which has, in the Old Testament, been mentioned as formerly done, is accom-
plished, in a larger and more extensive sense, in the New Testament. But as the citations
which appear to belong to this class may be referred to the first and third, we have pubsti-
^J&EMta. Hist. vo,.i. p.l..at The best critieal must.-
tion of the prophetical sense of Psalm ex. is, perhaps, that given by Dr. Gregory Sharpe,
in hU Second Argument in Defence of Christianity, taken from the antient Prophecies,
PP s 2 As"the passages from the prophetic writings have already been given at full length,
they arc here designedly omitted.
3 4*
264
On the Internal Form of Quotations. [Part I. Ch.
Psal, Ixix. 25. cix, 8. - quoted in
Psal. xcv. 7 11.
J Psal. cii. 2527.
Psal. ex. 1.
Psal. ex. 4
l?sal. cxviii. 22, 23.
Psal. cxviii. 25, 25.
Psal. cxxxii. 11. 17.
Isa. vii. 14. - "
Isa. ix. 1, 2.
Isa.ix. 7. (with Dan. vii. 14. 27.)
Isa. xi. 10.
Isa, xxv. 8.
Isa, xxvii. 9. andlix. 20, 21.
Isa.xxvlil. 16. (with Joel ii. 32.)
Isa. xl. 35.
Isa. xiii. 1 4. - -
Isa. xlix, 6.
Isa. liii. 1.
Isa. liii. 3 6.
Isa. liii. 46. 11.
Isa. liii. 4.
Isa. liii. 9. -
. Isa. liii. 12.
Isa. liv. 13. -
Isa. Iv. 3.
Jer. xxxi. 31 34.
Hoseai. 10.
Hoseaii. 23.
Joel ii. 2832.
Amosix. 11, 12.
Micah v, 2.
Habak. i. 5.
Haggai ii. 6".
Zech. ix. 9.
Zech. xi. 13.
J3ech. xii. 10.
Zech. xiii. 7-
Mal.iii. 1.
Mai. iv. 5,6,
Acts i. 20.
Heb. in. 7 11. 5 iv. 3. 57.
Heb. i. 10 J 2.
f Matt. xxii. 44. Markxii.36. Luke xx. 42.
\ Acts ii. 34, 35. Heb. i. 13.
Heb. v. 6.
C Matt.xxi.42. Mark xii, 10,11. Luke xx. 17.
\ Actsiv. 1],
Matt. xxi. 9. Mark xi. 9. John xii. 13*
Luke i. 69. Acts ii. 30.
Matt. i. 23.
Matt.iv. 1,5,16.
Lukei. 32, 33.
Bono. xv. 12.
1 Cor. xv. 54.
Rom. xi. 26, 27.
Rom. ix. 33. and 1 Pet. ii. 6.
Matt, iii, 3. Mark i. 3. Luke Hi* 4 6,
Matt. xii. 1721.
Acts xiii. 47,48. and xxvi. 23. Luke ii. 32,
John xii. 38. Rom. x. 16.
Acts xxvi. 22,23.
1 Pet. ii. 24, 25.
Matt. viii. 17.
1 Pet. ii. 22.
Mark xv. 28. Luke xxii. 37.
Johnvi. 45.
Acts xiii. 34.
Heb. viii. 8 12. x. 16, 17.
Rom. ix. 26.
Rom. ix. 25. 1 Pet. ii. 10.
Actsii, 1621.
Acts xv. 16, 17.
Matt. ii. 5, 6. John vii. 42.
Acts xiii. 40.
Heb. xii. 26.
Matt. xxi. 4, 5. John xii. 14. 16.
Matt, xxvii. 9, 10.
John xix. 37.
Matt. xxvi. 31. 56. Mark xiv. 27. 50.
Matt. xi. 10. Mark i. 2. Luke vii. 27.
j Matt. xi. 13, 14, xvii. 1013. Mark ix,
i 1113. Lukei. 16, 17.
II. Of Quotations from the Old Testament in the New^ in which that
is said to have been done> of which the Scriptures have not spoken in a
literal, hit in a spiritual se?ise.
There are citations out of the Old Testament in the New in a mediate
and typical or spiritual sense, respecting Christ and his m} r stical body
the church. The Scripture is therefore said to be fulfilled, when that is
accomplished in the antitype which is written concerning the type. Thus,
in John xix. 36. we read, these things were done that the Scriptures
should be fulfilled " a bone of him shall not be broken." These words,
which were originally written of the paschal lamb (Exod. xii. 4-6-
Numb, ix. 12.), are said to be fulfilled in Christ, who is the antitype of
that Iamb. Additional examples of the same kind will be found in the
annexed passages.
Gen. xiv, 18. 20. cited and applied in Heb. vii. 1 - 10.
Gen. xv, 5. - - - Rom. iv. 18.
Gen. xvi. 15, - - Gal. iv. 22.
Gen. xvii. 4. Rom. iv. 17.
Gen. xviii. 10. ... Rom. ix. 9,
Gen. xx J. 1 3. - - Gal. iv. 22, &c.
VI. Sect. II*] On the Internal Form of Quotations*
265
Gen* xxi. 1 2. cited and applied in
Gen. xxv. 23.
Exod. xvi. 1315.
Exod. xvii. 6. Numb. xx. 11.
Exod. xix. 6, -
Exod. xxiv. 8* . -
Levit. xxvi. 11, 12.
Numb. xxi. 8, 9.
Deut. xxi. 23. - -
; "Deut. xxxii. 21,
2 Sam. vii. 14.
Psal. ii. 9. -
Psal. viii. 46.
Psal. viii. 6. -
Psal. xviii. 49.
Psal. xxxv. 19. Ixix, 4. and cix. 3.
Psal. xl. G 8. - -
Psal. Ixix, 9.
* Psal. civ. 4. -
Isa. xl. 6, 7. - - -
Isa. Hi. 7. and Nahum i.15.
Jsa. liv. 1. -
Isa. Ixiv. 4. -
Jonah i. 17. ii. 1. and Hi. 5.
Habak. ii, 3.
Habak, ii. 4.
Rom. ix. 7.
Rom. ix. 10.
John vi. 31. 49. 1 Cor. x. 3.
1 Cor. x. 4.
1 Pet. ii. 9.
Heb. ix. 20.
2 Cor. vi. 16.
John iii. J4.-
Gal. iii. 13.
Rom. x. 19.
Heb. i. 3^
Kevtii. 27.
Heb. ii. C 8.
1 Cor. xv. 27.
Rom. xv. 9.
John xv. 25.
Heb. x. 57.
John ii. 17.
Efefc i. 7.
1 Pet. 1T24, 25.
Rom. x. 15.
Gal. iv. 27,
1 Cor.-ii. 9.
Matt. xii. 40, 41. Lukexi. SO. 32,
Heb. x. 37.
Rom, i. 17. Gal. Hi. 1 1 . Heb. x, 38.
Ill* Of Quotations from tlie Old Testament in t7ie New, in *wldcli a
tiling is done neither in a literal nor in a spiritual sense, according to
the fact referred to in the Scriptures, but is similar to that fact) - in-
other words, where the passages referred to are cited in the way of
illustration.
The attentive reader of the New Testament cannot fail to observe, that
many passages of the Old Testament are cited and adapted by the writers
of the New Testament to an occurrence which happened in their time, on
account of their correspondence and similitude- These citations are not
prophecies, though they are said sometimes to be fulfilled ; ; j&r any .thing-
may be said to be fulfilled when it can be pertinently applied- This me-
thod of explaining Scripture by the way of illustration will enable us to
solve some of the greatest difficulties relating to the prophecies.
For the better understanding of this important subject, it should be recollected, that (
the writings of the Jewish Prophets, which abound in fine descriptions, poetical images, .
and sublime diction, were the classics of the later Jews ; and, in subsequent ages, all f
their writers affected allusions to them, borrowed their images and descriptions, and very
often cited their identical words when recording any event or circumstance that happened
in the history of the persons whose lives they were relating ; provided it was similar and
parallel to one that occurred in the times, and was described in the books of the antient
prophets. It wns a familiar idiom of the Jews ', when quoting the writings of the Old
Testament, to say, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by such and such a prophet;
not intending to be understood that such a particular pa&sagc in one of the sacred books
was ever designed to be a real prediction of what they were then' relating, but signifying
only* that the words of .the Old Testament might be properly gdggtedrtQ , ex P r W their -
meaning "and illustrate their ideas. Arid thus the Apostles", who were Jews by birthj }
and wrote and spoke in the'Tewish idiom, have very frequently alluded to the sacred
books, after the customary style of their nation ; intending no more by this mode of '
speaking, than that the words of such an antient writer are happily descriptive of what was
transacted in their time, and might, with equal ...propriety., be adapted to characterise such
a particular circumstance as happened in their days : that there was a con-siifiilaritypti case
"and incidents j and that the expressive style and diction of the old inspired prophets were
as justly applicable to the occurrences recorded by the apostles, as they were suitable to
denote those events and facts in their times which they had commemorated.
1 The Talmud and Rabbinical writers abound with instances* great numbers of which
are quoted by Surenhusius, in the work already cited, in p, 261. note 3 .
266 On the Internal Form of Quotations. [Part I. Ch.
Thus, our Lord, speaking of the insurmountable prepossessions and perverseness of the
Jews to whom he preached, says : Seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither
do they understand, that is, their stupidity is so gross, and their prejudices are so nume-
rous, that though they have capacities proper for understanding and receiving my doctrine,
they will neither understand nor receive it ; so that in them is ^fulfilled the prophecy of
Isaiah, his i^ords ^are ^perfectly applicable to the present ageTTmf descriptive of thqir
moral Character and condition,: Hearijig ye will hear, and will not understand ; and
'seeing ye will see, and will not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears
are dull of hearing, a?id their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their
eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted,
and 1 should heat them. (Isa. vi. 9, 10, cited in Matt. xiii. 14, 1 5.) The same passage of
' the evangelical prophet is cited by St. Paul (Rom. xi. 8.)) and applied to* the invincible
obstinacy of his countrymen, .notj indeed, as though they had then, and then only, re- -
^ceived thejr, precise .attpjoppli&hmjg^but as beautifully expressive of the obduracy, deter-
mineci infidelity, and impenitence of the Jews.
Again, the prophet Jeremiah, describing the miseries of captivity by a beautiful figure,
represents Rachel as deploring the loss of her children, bathed in tears, piercing the air
with loud lamentations, and indulging in inconsolable grief. When Herod imbrued his
hands in the blood of the innocents in Bethlehem and its vicinity, how applicable were
the prophets words to such a cruel scene, and how happily are they cited by the evange-
list, to exhibit to his reader the mourning and lamentation caused by that sanguinary
tyrant ! They are a beautiful quotation, andjiot a prediction of what then happened : and
yet, upon the murder of these babes, the "sacred historian says"," accord ing to "tlie Jewish
^phraseology^ when they cited Scripture : Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the
prophet JeremM ; In Eamah there was a voice heard, lamentation and weeping, and "rcat
waurningt Rachel wearing for her children, and would not be comforted because then arc not
(Jer. xsxi. 1 5. cited in Matt, ii. 17,18.)
Once more, our Lord having delivered several parables, the sacred historian after
remarking that Jesus Christ chose to convey his religious and moral instruction to the
Jews by means of parables, with which all his public discourses abounded, says: _ That
it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, I will open my mouth in parables
In-ill utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world ' fPsal
Irxviii. 2. quoted in Matt, xiik.&y 1 ' *
A similar instance occurs in St. Paul's second Epistle to the Corinthians (vi 2 1
where he cites the saying of the Prophet (Isa. xlix. 8.) - / lmw heard thee - n fl ^
cejitcd, and in the day of salvation I have succoured thee. In this passage the Apostle doe* nnf
mean to declare that the prophet had the Corinthians in view, but he cites it as a parallel
case ^intimating that they might collect from that saying that there was a certain acceoted
tinie, in which God would hear them, and which, therefore, it concerned them not to W
pass without carefully improving it.
^T * a *> le P res ? nts a tot of th e passages thus quoted from
the Old Testament by the writers of the New, in the way of illustration :
Gen. xv. 5. - , cited in Rom.iv. 18,
- Gal * * 6 - and James tt 23 -
.
Gen. xix. 15. 26. - . Luke ^ gg ^ 32
Gen.ai.lS. - . . Rom.ix.7.
Gen. MV. 33. - . Heb. xH. 16.
Gen sxvii. 2S 5 &c. . . Heb. xi. 20. xii, 17.
poets never thought; and this, Dr. Jorrin remarks, is
-
Tow icai ano y^acr^s ft&iros y\v*w pw W 5.
T. , . Words . sweet as hone y from his Jipg distill'd POPP
~5^?^?r^S!6?5 b -^V red -
this biographer. (Shar^Second Arg^ ^ SSSS?S$ " *
VI. Sect, II.] On the Internal Form of Quotations.
267
Exod. xxxiii, 19. - cited in
Lev. xi, 45. -
Lev. xviii. 5.
Deut. viMs.
Deut. vi. 16.
Deut. viii. 3. -
Deut. xxv. 4.
Deut. xxvii. 26.
Deut. xxxii. 35.
Deut. xxxii. 36.
Deut. xxxii. 43. - -
Josh. i. 5.
1 Sam. xxi. 6.
1 Kings xix. 14, 18.
Psal. v. 9. and cxl. 3. -
Psal. x. 7. -
Psal. xiv. 1 3, and liii, 1 3.
Psal, xix. 4. -
Psal, xxiv. 1. - -
Psal. xxxii, 1, 2.
Psal. xxxiv. 12 16.
Psal. xxxvi. 1 ,
Psal. xliv. 22.
Psal.li. 4.
Psal. Ixix. 9. -
Psal. Ixix. 22, 23.
Psal. Ixxviii. 2. -
Psal. Ixxxii, 6.
Psal. cxii. 9. -
Psal. cxvi. 10.
Psal. cxvii. 1. - -
Psal. cxviii. 6. -
Prov. i. 16, Isa. lix. 7, 8.
Prov, iii. 11, 12.
Prov. iii. 34,
Prov. x. 12.
Prov. xxv. 21, 22.
Prov.xxvi.il. -
Isa. i. 9. -
Isa. vi, 9, 10. - -
Isa. viii. 1 2, 1 S.
Isa. viii. 17, 18.
Isa. x, 22, 23. -
Isa. xxviii, 16.
Isa. xxix. 10. -
Isa. xxix. 13.
Isa. xxix. 14.
Isa. xxix. 16. and xlv. 9.
Isa. xlv. 23.
Isa. xlix. 8. -
Isa. Hi. 5. with Ezek. xxxvi. 20.
Isa. Hi. 7. and Nahumi. 15,
Isa, Hi. 11, 12.
Isa. Hi. 15. * - ...
Isa. Ivi. 7. (and Jer, vil, 11.)
Isa. Ixi. 1,2.
Isa. Ixv, 1,2.
Isa. Ixvi. 1, 2.
Jer. xxxi. 15. *
Jer. xxxi. 33. and xxxii. 38. (with 2 Sam,
vii, 14.)
Hoseaxi. 1.
Hab. ii. 4.
Joel ii. 32.
Mai, i, 2, $.
Horn, ix. 15.
1 Pet, i. 16.
Rom.x. 5. Gal. iii. 12.
Matt. iv. 10. Lukeiv. 8.
Matt, iv* 7, Lukeiv. 12.
Matt. iv. 4. Luke iv. 4.
1 Cor. ix, 9. 1 Tim, v. ] 8.
Gal. iii. 10.
Rom. xii. 19. Heb. x. 30.
Heb. x. 30.
Rom. xv. 10.
Heb. xiii. 5.
Matt, xii, 3, 4. Mark ii. 25, 26. Luke vi. 3, 4.
Rom. xi, 3, 4.
Rom. iii. 13.
Rom. iii. 1 4.
Rom. iii. 10 12.
Rom. x. 18.
1 Cor. x, 26.
Rom. iv. 7, 8,
1 Pet. iii. 1012.
Rom. iii. 18.
Rom. viii. 36.
Rom. iii. 4.
Rom. xv. 3.
Rom. xi, 9, 10.
Matt, xiii. 35.
John x. 34.
2 Cor. ix. 9.
2 Cor. iv. 13.
Rom. xv. 11.
Heb. xiii* 6.
Roin, iii. 1517.
Heb. xii. 5, G.
James iv. 6.
1 Pet. iv. 8.
Rom. xii. 20.
2 Pet. ii, 22.
Rom. ix. 29.
J John xii. 40. Matt. xiii. 14, 15. Luke viii. 10,
i Rom. xi. 8.
1 Pet. iii. 14, 15.
Heb. ii. 13.
Rom. ix. 27, 28.
Rom. x.l 1.
Rom. xi, 8.
Matt. xv. 8, 9. Mark vii. 6.
J Cor, i. 19,
Rom. ix. 20, 21.
Rom. xiv. 11. Phil ii. 10.
2 Cor. vi. 2.
Rom. ii, 24.
Rom.x. 15,
2 Cor, vi. 17.
Rom. xv. 21.
Matt. xxi. 13. Markxi* 17. Luke xix. 4&
Lukeiv. 18, 19.
Rom. x. 20, 21.
Acts vii. 49, 50.
Matt. ii. 17, 18.
2 Cor. vi. 18.
Matt.ii. 15.
Rom. i. 17,
Horn, x, 13.
Horn. ix. 13.
268 On the Internal Form of Quotations. [Part I. Ch.
It cannot escape observation that by far the larger portion of the
preceding passages is cited and adapted to the purpose of illustration
by the Apostle Paul. Dr. John Taylor * has some useful remarks (of
which the following are an abstract), on the various designs with
which St. Paul cited them :
1. Sometimes his intention goes no further than using the same strong
expressions, as being equally applicable to the point in hand. Thus, in
Rom.x.6 S. he uses the words of Moses (Deut. xxx. 1214.), not to
prove any thing, nor as if he thought Moses spoke of the same subject ;
but merely as intimating that the strong and lively expressions, used by
Moses concerning the doctrine he taught, were equally applicable to the
faith of the Gospel. So, in Rom. x. 18. he quotes Psal. xix, 4. though
it is not^unlikely that those expressions were used by the antient Jews in
application to the Messiah, as the Apostle applies them.
I 2. Sometimes the design of the quotation is only to show that the cases
fare parallel; or that what happened in his times corresponded with what
I happened in former days. See Rom.ii. 24. viii. 36. ix. 2729. xi. 25
r 810. and xv. 21.
3. Sometimes the quotation is only intended to explain a doctrinal
point. See Rom.i.17, IF. 7, 8. J8 21. ix.20, 21. x. 15. and xv. 3.
4. Sometimes the quotation is designed to prove a doctrinal point. ,
See Rom,iiU. 1018. iv.S 17. v. 1214. ix.7. 9.12, 13. 15. 17? x.5.
11. 13. xiL20. xiv.ll.
Lastly, when a passage of the Old Testament is quoted in the New, in
order to prove a point of doctrine, the person or writer applies it, though
not always^n the precise words of the original, yet constantly according
to its genuine sense as it stands there. Examples of such application
will be found in Deut. viii.3. compared with Matt.iv.4. ; Deut. vi. 16. com-
pared with Matt. iv. 7., Deut. xxxiii. 35. and Prov. xxv. 21, 22. compared
with Rom xii. 1 9, 20. -The expression in Hos. vi. 6., mercj, and not sacri-
Jice, is applied to different purposes in Matt. ix. 13,, but to both properly.
In applying passages cited from the Old Testament by way of
illustration, Turretin has suggested the three following rules, which
claim the attention of the biblical student
wf.M, Ilf a rt at j ons 4 of * his kind > must not neglect the literal sense,
which is the first and only genuine sense of Scripture.
^cb^^K^^ n f t0 be f rced ' r far - fet <*ed 5 for those
hended 7 * Ap StleS W6re sim P le > and ? to be We-
mUCh sfcess u S ht not to be ^ on these applications ; which
the
illustrat " e quotations, it follows that
necessary to
In his Paraphrase and Notes on Saint Paul's Epistle to the Komans, p.339. 4th edit.
n, is more fully
Ijaomsiaii J J ectures > vol i DD 26O "0*9 ~fT~ "*"**"" HH- 0^*1 365.); Dr. Hey
Test. voU. pp. 279290.') j Rump u a "( Comment ^ d d ^" troduct:ion to the Ne ^
VI. Sect. II.] On the Internal Form of Quotations.
269
IV. Of Quotations, and other Passages from the Old Testament, which
are alluded to in the New.
Besides the passages mentioned in the preceding class, as citations by
the writers of the New Testament in the way of illustration, there is a
fourth class, nearly allied to them, and comprising a few quotations, to-
gether with a larger number of other passages not distinctly cited from
the Old Testament ; but which, on comparing them with the New Testa-
ment, appear most evidently to have been present to the minds of the
sacred writers, who have alluded to them without expressly quoting
them. A. careful inspection of such passages, with reference to their
scope and context, together with an application of the rules above sug-
gested by Turretin, will readily enable the student to judge of the al-
lusions which he may meet with in the New Testament : and in addition
to those rules, Dr. Gerard has remarked, that when the inspired writers
quote a passage from the Old Testament, merely in the tvay of allusion^
it is enough that the words which they borrow emphatically express their
own meaning. It is not necessary that they be precisely the same with
those of the passage alluded to, nor that they be there used, either of the
same subject or of a similar subject. ! The following table presents a
list of the principal passages thus alluded to in the New Testament.
Gen. i. 6. 9.
Gen. i. 27.
Gen. ii. 2, 3.
Gen, ii. 7.
Gen. ii, 21,22.
Gen, ii. 24,
Gen* iii, 6.
Gen, iii. 4. 13,
Gen. iii, 1 6.
Gen. iv. 4.
Gen. iv. 8.
Gen. v, 24.
Gen. xii.
Gen. xiii. 15.
Gen. xv. 13, 14.
Gen. xvii. 10.
Gen. xviii. 3. xix. 2.
Gen. xviii. 10.
Gen. xviii. 12.
Gen, xix. 24.
Gen, xxi. 12.
Gen. xlvi, 27.
Gen. xlvii. 31.
Gen. 1. 24,
Exod. ii. 2. 11.
Exod. iii. 6.
Exod. xii. 12. IS.
Exod, xiv. 22.
alluded to in 2 Pet, iii. 5-
("Matt. xix. 4. Mark x, G. 1 Cor. xi. 7.
\ James iii. 9.
Heb, iv. 4.
1 Cor, xv. 45.
1 Cor, xi. 8. 1 Tim. ii, 13.
C Matt. xix. 5. Mark x. 7. 1 Cor. vi. 16,
~ \ Eph. v, 31.
1 Tim.ii. 34,
2 Cor. xi. 3.
1 Cor. xiv, 34.
Heb. xi. 4.
C Matt, xxiii. 35. Lukexi. SI. I John iii. 12.
Judo, verse 11.
Heb. xi. ,5.
C Matt. xxiv. 37, 38, Luke xvii. 26,27. Heb.
xi. 7. 1 Feb. iii. 1 9, 20. 2 Pet. ii. 5, iii. G.
Acts vii. 3. Heb. xi, 8.
Rom. iv. 13.
Acts vii. 6,7.
Acts vii. 8.
Heb, xiii. 2.
Heb.xi. 11.
1 Put. iii. 6.
.2 Pet. ii. 6, Jude, verse 7.
Heb. xi. 18.
Acts vii. 14.
Heb, xi. 21.
Heb. xi. 22.
Heb. xi. 2357. Acts vii. 20^-29.
Mark xii. 26. Acts vii. 31, 32.
Heb, xi. 28.
1 Cor. x. 2. Heb. xi. 29.
Christian Religion, chapters xiii. xiv. xv. pp. 206 296. edit. 1725.). The reader will
also find some excellent remarks on the different modes of quotation, in Dr. Cook's In-
quiry into the Books of the New Testament, pp. 284 304,
i Institutes of Biblical Criticism, p. 422. 135.
270
On Apocryphal Passages.
[Part I. Ch.
Exod, six. 12. 16. 18, 19. alluded to in
Exod. xx. 1216. Deut. v. 1620.
Exod, xiii. 2. Numb. viii. 16, 17, xviii.
15. 17.
Lev, xiv. 3,4. JO.
Lev. six, 12.
Lev. six. 18.
Numb. xi. 4. -
Numb, xiv. 23. 29. 37. and xxvi. 64, 65. -
Numb. xxi. 4 6. - -
Numb. xxu. 23, 39. -
Deut. xviii. 1,
Deut. xxiv. 1. - -
Josh, ii, 1. vi. 22, 23,
Josh. vi. 20. -
Judges, the whole book, generally
1 Sam. viii. 5. and x. 1.
I Sam. xiii. 14. xv. 23. xvi. 12, 13,
1 Kings xvii. 1. and xviii. 4245.
1 Chron, xxiii. 13.
Psal. xc. 4. -
Prov. xxvii. 1.
Isa. xii, 3. -
Isa. IxvL 24.
Jer. vi. 1 (>.
Lam. iii, 45. ...
Dan. iii. 2325. -
Dan. ix. 27. xii. 11.
Hos. xiii, 14.
Hos. xiv. 2.
Amos, v, 25, 26, 27. - -
Heb. xii. 1820.
f Matt. xix. 18, 19. Mark x. 19. Luke xviii,
\ 20. Rom, xh'i. 9. James ii. 11.
Luke ii. 23.
Matt. viii. 4. Mark i. 44. Luke v. 14,
Matt. v. 33.
Matt. v. 43. Gal, v. 14.
1 Cor. x. 6.
Heb, iii, 16, 17. Jude, verse 5.
1 Cor. x, 9.
2 Pet. ii. 15,16. Jude 5. 11.
1 Cor ix. 13.
Matt, v. 31. Mark x. 4. Luke xvi. IS.
Heb. xi. si. James ii. 25.
Heb. xi. 30.
Acts xiii. 20. Heb. xi. 32.
Acts xiii. 21.
Acts xiii. 22.
James v. 1 7, 1 8.
Heb. v. 4.
2 Pet. iii. 8.
James iv. 13, 14.
John vii. 38.
Mark ix. 44,
Matt, xi, 29.
1 Cor. iv. 13.
Heb. xi. 34.
Matt. xxiv. 15. Mark xiii. 14.
1 Cor, xv. 55.
Heb. xiii. 15.
Acts vii. 42, 43.
SECTION III.
OF APOCRYPHAL PASSAGES, SUPPOSED TO BE QUOTED IN THE NEW
TESTAMENT QUOTATIONS FROM PROFANE AUTHORS.
IT was a practice of the antient Hebrew divines to cite, not only
the fecnptures, as we have seen in the preceding sections, but also
to quote histories, facts, and apophthegms or sayings of their early
sages, which they had received by oral tradition from the time of
Moses in order to supply those passages which are wanting in the
Pentateuch. Of this method of quotation we have three instances
m the New Testament. The first is 2 Tim. iii. 8. where we meet
with the name of Jannes and Jambres as the two Egyptian magicians
who opposed Moses. Schickard and some other learned men are
of opinion that Saint Paul, being deeply conversant in Jewish liter!
ature denved his knowledge of these names from the Targum or
Chaldee Paraphrase of Jonathan Ben Uzziel, on Exod. vii. 1 1 B ut
as there is reason to believe that this Targum is of too late a date o
LlX an nS t f b $ thC ^r 16 ' * " m St P robable "hat tl at
1 ^ f tlent K and S en ! ra % eived tradition relative to those
men. m at corroborates the latter conjecture is, that their
are mentioned by some antient profane writers/ as
VI. Sect. III.] On Apocryphal Passages. 271
Pythagorean \ by Artapanus 2 , and by Pliny. 3 The Jews affirm
that they were princes of Pharaoh's magicians, and that they greatly
resisted Moses. 4 Origen, who flourished in the second century^
informs us, that there was extant, in his time, an apocryphal book
concerning these magicians, inscribed Jannes et Mambres Liber. 5
The other two instances alluded to are the 9th verse of the Epistle
of Jude,, which cites the story of Michael the archangel, contending
with Satan about the body of Moses, and the 14th verse of the same
epistlej in which he quotes, an apocryphal prophecy of Enoch. The
first of these is borrowed from traditional accounts then received by
the Jews, with whom the Apostle argues from their own authors and
concessions. 6 The prophecy of Enoch is now known to- have been
cited from an apocryphal book, bearing that patriarch's name, which
was extant at the time when Jude wrote, and of which we have
given a short notice in p. 124. of the Appendix to this volume. The
following is the passage, as translated by Archbishop Laurence from
an Ethiopic version of this book:
*' Behold, he comes with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judg-
ment upon them, and to reprove all the carnal for every thing which the
sinful and ungodly have done and committed against him." 7
Thus this much litigated point is now finally determined : but-
Jude's quotation of a single passage from the apocryphal book in
question, will no more prove his approbation of the whole book, than
Paul's quotations from certain heathen poets prove that apostle's ap-
probation of every part of the compositions to which he referred.
On a reference to the passages of the Old Testament, which are
cited in the way of illustration by the evangelical writers 8 , it will be
observed that by far the greater number of such quotations has been
made by Saint Paul. But the same great apostle of the Gentiles,
becoming all things to all men, and being deeply versed in the works
of heathen authors, as well as in the sacred writings, did not confine
himself exclusively to the inspired books : and, accordingly, we have
three instances in the New Testament of the fine taste and ability
with which he cited and applied passages from Pagan authors, when
contending with the Gentiles, or writing to Gentile converts. The
first is in Acts xvii. 28., where he cites part of a verse from the
Phenomena of Aratus,
rov yap iceu yevos ecTjUey.
for we his offspring are.
The passage was originally spoken of the heathen deity Jupiter, and
i Apud Origen. contra Celsurn, pp. 198, 199. edit. Speucer,and in Eusebiusde Prep.
Evang. 1. 8. c. 8.
a In Eusebius, 1. 9. c. 27. 3 Pliny, Hist. Nat, 1. SO, c. I.
4 Surenhusius, Btj8J\os Ka.Tct\\ayi)s t pp. 589, 590.
5 Tract 35. in Matt, cited by Dr. Whitby on 2 Tim. iii. 8.
o Surenhusius (pp.699 702.) has given a long extract from the Jalkut Eubeni,
fol. 76. col, 2. which details the history of Michael's conflict with the devil. The same
author (pp. 709 712.) has also referred to many Rabbinical writers who take notice of
Enoch's prophecy.
7 The Apocryphal Book of Enoch the Prophet, (London, 1823, Svo,) ch. 11. p. 2.
On the subject of the apocryphal quotations by Jude, see further, VoUJLy.. Part 1 1.
,Cbap, JIT, ecfc.yJ.-4J:L
8 See pp. 265267, supra.
272 On Harmonies of Scripture. [Part I.
is dexterously applied to the true God by Paul, who draws a very
strong and conclusive inference from it.
The second instance alluded to is in 1 Cor. xv. 33. dn which pas-
sage the Apostle quotes a senary iambic, which is supposed to have
been taken from Menander's lost comedy of Thai's,
rendered, in our translation, Evil communications corrupt goodmanners.
The last instance to IDC noticed under this head is Titus i. 1 2., where
St. Paul quotes from Epimenides, a Cretan poet, the verse which has
, already been cited and illustrated in Vol. I. p, 185.; to which the
I reader is referred.
CHAPTER VII.
ON HARMONIES OF SCRIPTURE.
I. Occasion and Design of Harmonies of the Scriptures. ~~ II. Harmonies
of the Four Gospels*-*- III. Observations on the different Schemes qfHar-
and on the Duration of the Public Ministry of Jesus Christ.
I, I HE several books of the Holy Scriptures, having been written
at diiferent times and on different occasions, necessarily treat on a
great variety of subjects, historical, doctrinal, moral, and prophetic.
The sacred authors also, writing with different designs, have not
always related the same events in the same order : some are intro-
duced by anticipation; and others again are related first which should
have been placed last. Hence seeming contradictions have arisen,
which have been eagerly seized by the adversaries of Christianity, in
order to perplex the minds and shake the faith of those who are not
able to cope with their sophistries. These contradictions, however,
are not real, for they disappear as soon as they are brought to the
test of candid examination.
The manifest importance and advantage of comparing the sacred
writers with each other, and of reconciling apparent contradictions,
have induced many learned men to undertake the compilation of
works a which, being designed to show the perfect agreement of all
parts of the sacred writings, are commonly termed HARMONIES. A
multitude of works of this description has, at different times, been
issued from the press ; the execution of which has varied according
to the different designs of their respective authors. They may, how-
ever, be^ referred to three classes; viz.
I. Works which have for their object the RECONCILING or APPA-
RENT CONTRADICTIONS in the sacred writings. These, in fact, are a
sort of Commentaries; and a notice of the principal publications of
this kmd will be found in the Appendix to this volume among the
commentators and expositors of Holy Writ.
& HARMONIES or THE OLD TESTAMENT, The design of these
Ch. VII.] On Harmonies of Scripture* 27$
is, to dispose the historical, poetical, and prophetical Books in Chro-
nological Order, so that they may mutually explain and authenticate
one another. Our learned ountryman, Dr. Lightfoot, in the year
1647, published a " Chronicle" or Harmony of the Old Testament;
on the basis of which the Rev. George Townsend constructed " The
Old Testament arranged in Historical and Chronological Order ; "
but he has deviated from, and improved upon the plan of Lightfoot
very materially. His work is noticed in the Appendix to this volume. 1
3. HARMONIES or THE NEW TESTAMENT are of two sorts; viz.
(1.) Harmonies of the ENTIRE New Testament, in wljich not only
are the four Gospels chronologically disposed, but the Epistles are
also placed in order of time, and interspersed in the Acts of the
Apostles. Mr. Townsend's " New Testament arranged in Chrono-
logical and Historical Order," is the most complete work of this kind
in the English language. 2
(2.) Harmonies of the four GOSPELS,, in which the narratives or
memoirs of the four evangelists are digested in their proper chrono-
logical order.
II. The" Memoirs or Narratives of the life of Jesus Christ, having
been written with different designs, and for the use of particular classes
of Christians ; the importance and advantage ef collating these rela-
tions with each other, and obtaining the clear amount of their various
narratives, at a very early period suggested tne plan of forming the
Gospels into Harmonies, exhibiting completely their parallelisms and
differences, or into a connected history, termed respectively Mono-
tessaron and Diatessaron ; in which the four accounts are blended
into one, containing the substance of them all. Works of this de-
scription are extremely numerous. Mr. Pilkington has enumerated
one hundred and four, which had come to his knowledge in 1747 3 j
and Walchius has given a select list. of one hundred and thirty, which
had been published prior to the year 1765. 4 The indefatigable bib-
liographer Fabricius, and his editor, Professor Harles, have given a
a list of those which were known to be extant, to the year 1 795,
which amounts to one hundred and seventy-two, but it is by no
means complete. 5 Our notice must necessarily be confined to a few
of the principal composers of harmonies. 6
1. TATIAN, who wrote about 'the middle of the second century,
composed a digest of the evangelical history, which was called ro
Sia Tercrgttjv, that is, the Gospel of the four, or MovoTe<r<rapov 9 Mo~
notessaron, that is, one narrative composed out of the four. Tatianis
the most antient harmonist on record : for, if Theopiiilus bishop of
Antioch had before written on that subject (as Jerome insinuates),
his work is long since lost In the beginning of the third century,
Ammonius, an Alexandrian, ' composed a harmony which was also
1 See Appendix, p. 114. 2 Ibid. p. 115.
3 Pilkington's Evangelical History and Harmony, Preface, pp. xviii. xx.
4 Walchii Bibliotbeca Sciecta, vol. iv. pp. S<53 900.
& Bibliotlieca Gracca, vol. iv, pp. 882889,
6 Our notices of Harmonies are chiefly derived from the three works just cited, and
from Miehaelis's Introduction to the New Testament, vol. Hi, parti, pp. 31 36. and
partii. pp. 29 49.
VOL. II. ?
274? On Harmonies of Scripture. [Part I.
called TO &a Tscnrapv, or the Gospel of the four, of the execution of
which Eusebius speaks with approbation. The works of Tatian and
Ammonias have long ago perished ; but attempts have been made to
obtrude spurious compilations upon the world for them in both in-
stances. Victor, who was bishop of Capua, in the sixth century, gave a
Latin version of a harmony, which was published by Michael Memlcr
at Mayence, in 1524, as a translation of Ammonias Harmony 9 in con-
sequence of Victor being undetermined to which of those writers it
was to be ascribed, though he was disposed to refer it to Tatian. And
Ottomar Luscinius published one at Augsburg in 1524<, which he
called that of Aim-nonius, though others have ascribed it to Tatian.
It is not a harmony in the strict sense of the term, but a mere sum-
mary of the life of Christ delivered in the author's own words.
. The diligent ecclesiastical historian EUSEBIUS, who wrote in
the former part of the fourth century, composed a very celebrated
harmony of the Gospels ; in which he divided the evangelical his-
tory into ten canons or tables, which are prefixed to many editions
and versions of the New Testament, particularly to Dr. Mill's cri-
tical edition of it In tliejirst canon he has arranged, according to
the antient chapters, (which are commonly called the Ammomau
Sections, from Ammonius, who made these divisions,) those parts
of the history of Christ, which are related by all four evangelists.
In the rest he has disposed the portions of history related by,
2. Matthew, Mark, and Luke,
3. Matthew, Luke, and John.
4). Matthew, Mark, and John,
- 5. Matthew and Luke.
6. Matthew and Mark.
7. Matthew and John.
S. Luke and Mark.
9. Luke and John.
10. Only one of the four evangelists.
Though these Ensebian canons are usually considered as a har-
mony, ret it is evident, from a bare inspection of them, that they are
simply Indexes to the four Gospels, and by no means form a har-
mony of the same nature as those, which have been written in modern
times, and which are designed to bring the several facts recorded by
he evangelists into chrono ogical order, and to reconcile contradic-
tions On this account Walchius does not allow them a place la
Ins bibliographical catalogue of harmonies
3. About the year 330, JUVENCUS, a Spaniard, wrote the evan-
^^bT T se '- His meth d is S;M o be K
and bis teise is not of a description to ensure him that immorfililv
5 The Crl h Tf HiS W rk has fellen to obi . y
Ch. VIL] On Harmonies ofS&ipture.
From the middle ages until the close of the fifteenth century,
various harmonies were compiled by Peter Comestor, Guido de Per-
piniano, Simon de Cassia, Luclolphus the Saxon, (a German Car-
thusian monk, whose work was held in such high estimation that
it passed through not fewer than thirty editions, besides being
translated into French and Italian,) Jean Charlier de Gerson, chan-
cellor of the university of Paris, Peter Lombard, Thomas Aquinas,
and many others, which are now of little value, and which have long
since fallen into disuse. Of the various harmonies published since
the Reformation, by foreign authors, the Latin Harmony of Chem-
nitz (or Chemnitius) is the most esteemed : and among our British
divines those of Drs. Doddridge and Macknight are most generally
read on account of their valuable expositions and commentaries. But,
for exhibiting the parallel passages of each evangelist, perhaps the
columnar form of Archbishop Newcome is preferable ; while he, who
is desirous of perusing one connected and continuous narrative, in
which all the shades of circumstances are judiciously interwoven, will
find Mr. Townsend's " New Testament arranged in Historical and
Chronological Order," &c. the most useful. l
III. In the construction of an Evangelical Harmony, two questions
have presented themselves to the consideration of harmonisers ; viz,
first, what evangelist has preserved the true order of circumstances,
to which all the others are to be reduced ? And, secondly, what
was the duration of the public ministry of Jesus Christ?
1. On the first of these topics, we may remark that all the modern
harmonies of the Gospels may be divided into two classes ; viz.
1, Harmonies, of which the authors have taken for granted, that
all the facts recorded in all the four Gospels are arranged in chro-
nological order; and, 2. Harmonies, of which the authors have
admitted, that in one or more of the four Gospels the chronologi-
cal order has been more or less neglected. At the head of the first
class is Andrew Osiander, one of Luther's fellow-labourers, in pro-
moting the reformation in Germany : his method is followed by
Calovius, Sandhagen, and others, on the Continent., and in this
country by Dr. Macknight. Chemnitz stands at the head of the
other class, and also has many followers of his method of arrange-
ment. " The harmonies of the former kind are very similar to
each other, because, though the authors of them had to inter-
weave the facts recorded in one Gospel with the facts recorded iu
another, yet, as they invariably retained the order which was ob-
served in each Gospel, and consequently repeated whatever facts
occurred in different places in different Gospels, as often as those
facts presented themselves to the harmonists in their progress
through the Gospels, there was less room for material deviations in
their plan and method. But in the harmonies of the latter kind we
meet with considerable variations, because, though the authors of them
are unanimous in their principle, they are at variance in the applica-
i Sec the Appendix, pp, 1 1(5 122. for an account of these and of the Harmonies of
the Gospel, or of particular Books of the New Testament,
T 2
276 On Harmonies of Scripture. [Part I.
lion of it: and, though they agree in making transpositions,, by
which they distinguish themselves from the harmonists of the first
class, yet they do not always make the same transpositions. Some 9
for instance, have supposed, as Chemnitz, Archbishop Newcome,
and other harmonists of this class have done, that St. Matthew has
mostly neglected chronological order, while others^ as Bengel and
Bertling, have supposed, that he has in general retained it. Hence,
though they have all the same object in view, namely, to make a
chronological Trarmony, or to arrange the events, which are recorded
in the Gospels, as nearly as possible according to the order of the
time in which the events happened, they have adopted different
modes of producing this effect. For in some harmonies the order
of St. Matthew is inverted, and made subservient to that of St. Mark,
while in other harmonies St. Mark's order is inverted, and made
subservient to that of St. Matthew. Some harmonists again sup-
pose, that all the evangelists have neglected chronological order,
while others make an exception in favour of one or more of them,
though the question, which of the evangelists should be exceptecl,
likewise affords matter of debate. And even those harmonists, who
agree as to the Gospel or Gospels, in which transpositions should
be made, differ in respect to the particular parts where these trans-
positions ought to take place." *
A late excellent writer on the evidences and criticisms of the New
Testament 2 , however, is of opinion that the evangelists did not de-
sign to adhere to the order of time in writing their respective me-
moirs of the life of Jesus Christ. The purpose with which the four
Gospels were written, he remarks, appears to have been, not a regular
chronologically disposed history of the life, ministry, and sufferings
of Jesus Christ, but the collection of such a body of well-authenti-
cated facts, as might disclose the nature, and form sufficient proof
of the truth of Christianity. This, he thinks, is obvious from the
manner in which the evangelists generally place together the facts
narrated. *< That manner is such as completely to effect the latter,
but not the former purpose. There are no marks of an intention,
on -the part of any of the evangelists, to give to their narratives a
regular chronological order. While, in general, there are no indi-
cations of the succession, and proximity of the events narrated, but
from their being prior, or posterior, and contiguous in the narrative,
or from such indefinite expressions asro7s, ^raX/v, ev rati$ tysgais exei-
wu;, sv exsiva) TW xsugco, sv rw xctQsgy$, p.sla raula] on the other hand,
it sometimes occurs, that the events which one evangelist relates as
In immediate succession, are noticed by himself to be not contiguous
in time., and are put down by another, with some of the intervening
transactions interposed. Than evidence of this kind, as to the pur-
pose of a history,, Redeclaration by the writer can be more satisfac-
tory. Such declaration, unless perfectly explicit, may require to be
modified by what his work bears within itself of its purpose. But
J Miehaelis's Introduction, vol. iii. part ii. p. 45.
* The Rev. Dr. Cook, in his Inquiry into the B^oks of the New Testament.
Ch. VII.] On Harmonies of Scripture. 277
there can be no ambiguity in the evidence, deduced from such facts
as we have noticed, in the Gospel narratives.
Against this evidence, too, there is no contrary declaration to be
weighed. The Evangelist, John, (xx. 30, 31.) expressly asserts that
the purpose of his writing was to make such a selection of facts as
might be good ground of faith in the divine mission of Jesus Christ;
but he no where affirms the chronological order of the selection,
Luke, also, thus declares the purpose of his writing to Theophilus,
e lv. ETnyvwj negi cov Kml^r^Yig \oywv ryv a&$oiKsiotv y (Luke i. 4.) and
the expression in the preceding verse, E8oe w/x,oi, wapijTcoAowflijxoTi
avwQsv Kouriv axgif3w$, xaQegfc <roi yp^ou, is to be interpreted accord-
ing to that purpose. For this purpose, thus distinctly expressed by
two of the evangelists, and evident from the manner of writing com-
mon to them all, it was assuredly necessary that, either directly or
indirectly, they should furnish us with such information, as might
enable us to refer the facts in the Gospel history to a certain country,
and a certain period in the history of the world. Without this, the
Gospels would not have afforded the proper means for distinguish-
ing them from fictitious histories ; and hence, could not have an-
swered the purpose of furnishing evidence to the truth of Christianity.
This it was possible to do, either formally by dates, such as are found
in the beginning of the 2cl and 3d chapters of Luke's Gospel; or by
allusions to known places, persons, and circumstances, to be learnt
from other histories. Of these two modes, the evangelists, with a
few exceptions, follow the latter ; natural to men writing immedi-
ately for contemporaries, upon or near the scene of the events ; and
conformable to the usual simplicity by which their whole style is
pervaded. But for this purpose, it was not in the least necessary to
frame regular chronological narratives ; and accordingly what was
not necessary, has not been effected ; the connections carrying for-
ward the arrangement of events in the Gospels, being not merely
those of time, but of the various associations, such as similarity in
the facts themselves, vicinity of place, &c. by which it is possible that
the human mind may be guided, in recollecting and classifying things
that are past. And such, perhaps, upon the whole, is the impres-
sion made on most readers by the narratives of the evangelists. As
we read them, we have a general feeling that they are carrying us
ultimately forward, from preceding to subsequent events, yet, occa-
sionally, over intervals of time concerning which nothing has been
recorded, or with deviations from the chronological order ; thus ren-
dering it difficult, or impossible, to make one harmonious arrange-
ment of the whole Gospel history, in which each event shall obtain,
in perfect consistency with the account of each Evangelist, its proper
chronological place." l
Amid this diversity of opinions, supported as each is by the most
ingenious arguments which its author could produce, it is extremely
difficult to decide. By the adoption of the very probable hypothesis
last stated, concerning the purpose for which the evangelists wrote,
? Dr. Cook's Inquiry, pp. 211 214, _
T 3
278 On Harmonies of Scripture. [Part I.
we certainly get rid, and in the fairest way, of all the difficulties with
which the two classes of authors of Harmonies of the Gospels above
noticed have to combat. As the evidence laid before the reader will
enable him to determine for himself, which of these hypotheses to
adopt, we shall only remark, that BishopMarsh recommends Gries-
bach's Synopsis of the three first Gospels as preferable to every other
harmony extant. 1
2. Very different opinions have been entertained by the compilers
of Harmonies, with regard to the duration of Christ's public ministry ;
whence a corresponding diversity has necessarily arisen in the dispo-
sition of their respective harmonies. During the three first centuries,
the common opinion was, that Christ's ministry lasted only one
year, or at furthest one year and four months. Early in the fourth
century, Eusebius the ecclesiastical historian, maintained that it
continued between three and four years: this opinion was generally
received, though the antient opinion was retained by Augustine.
During the middle ages, no further inquiries appear to have been
made on this subject : and, after the Reformation, all the harmonisers
of the ^sixteenth and seventeenth centuries assumed it for certain
that Christ's ministry lasted between three and four years. Beimel,
however, iu his German Harmony of the Gospels, published at
Tubingen in 1736, reduced it to two years; and, three years before,
,!;,, . nn in his essa y "Of the true Years of the Birth and Death
ot Christ, (London, 1733, Svo.) revived the antient opinion that it
lasted only one year. This was also followed by Dr. Priestley in his
Greek and English Harmonies. The hypothesis of Eusebius was
adopted by Archbishop Newcome, who maintained that one year
was by for too short a period for the several progresses of Jesus
Uinst in i Cralilee, and the transactions connected with them: and
Bishop Marsh observes, that the Gospel of John presents almost
insuperable obstacles to the opinion of those who confine Christ's
ministry to one year. For, in order to effect this purpose, it is
necessary to make omissions and transpositions in St, John's Gospel
S T n0t warranted . b y the laws of criticism, but are attempted
neiely to rapport a previously assumed hypothesis. On the other
w? * V , S ? at tbe pinion > Which ""** Christ ' s ministry *
have continued three years (and which receives no support whatever
from the three first Gospels) cannot be satis kctor proven
** with
E "S lish Harmony
dis.
c
was compiled by, and printed at th1. C e of Th I" '' ^ E "S lish Harm
tribution only), intitled I Diate SS aro n or Z T3s2 f BOWLES, Esq. (for private
from the four Gospels, accord^ toX TrL? ? 7 / ^ ^'' d Jesus Christ ' "mpi
adopted by John Bavid JfiS LndoT " T .P'', Cam . pbe11 ' and in the ^
the compto has made some St' variations fn,n ,1 " b ( . e utifull y weuted volume,
in the harmonised table just mc^ S rdcr f tlme foll<wod '>' Mididii
Ch. VII.] On Harmonies of Scripture. 279
from the Gospel of Saint John., who at the utmost has noticed, or at
least named, only three distinct passovers. J
Another opinion has lately been announced, with equal modesty
and learning, in a dissertation on " The Chronology of our Saviour's
Life, " by the Rev. C. BENSON, M. A. (Cambridge, 1819, 8vo.) The
results of his investigation (which depends on minute chronological
and critical discussions that do not admit of abridgment) are, that
Herod died in the year of the Julian period 47] 1; and, consequently,
that the birth of Christ took place A.J.P. 4709, in the spring (pro-
bably in the month of April or May) ; that his baptism was performed
in or about the month of November, A. j. p. 4739, during the procu-
ratorship of Pontius Pilate ; that, agreeably to the indications of time
contained in Saint John's Gospel, the ministry of Jesus Christ lasted
through three passovers, or two years and a half; and that he
was crucified on the fifteenth day of the month Nisan (April 15th),
A. j. p. 4742.
From the difficulty of producing a harmony, complete in all its
parts, some eminent critics (and among them the elegant and ac-
complished expositor, Gilpin) have maintained that we ought to
peruse the four several memoirs of Jesus Christ written by the evan-
gelists, separately and distinctly ; and that, by explaining them sepa-
rately, the whole becomes more uniform. Archbishop Newcome,
however, has ably vindicated, and proved, the utility and advantage
of harmonies ; and with his observations, the present chapter shall
conclude. A harmony, he remarks, has the following uses :
By the juxta-position of parallel passages, it is often the best
comment ; and it cannot but greatly alleviate the reader's trouble,
in his attempts to illustrate the phraseology and manner of the
evangelists. It also shows that Mark, who inserts much new mat-
ter, did not epitomise the Gospel of Matthew : and it affords plain
indications, from the additions and omissions in John's Gospel, that
his was designed to be a supplemental history. Further, a harmony
in many instances illustrates the propriety of our Lord's conduct
and works. Thus, previously to the call of the four Apostles (Mark
i. 16 20.) Andrew had been the Baptist's disciple, and had received
his testimony to Jesus (John i. 35. 40.) : Peter had been brought to
Jesus by Andrew his brother (John i. 42.) ; and Jesus had shown
more than human knowledge and more than human power (John
i. 48. ii, 1 1. 23. iii. 2. iv. 29. 49, 50.) than what had probably fallen
within the experience of these cliscirbs, or at least must have gained
their belief on the firmest grounds. So, the words of Christ (John
v.21. 25.) are prophetically spoken before he had raised any from the
dead; and his reproofs (Matt. xii. 34. Mark vii. 6.) are uttered
after he had wrought miracles, during two feasts at Jerusalem. Nor
was the jealousy of the Jewish rulers early awakened by the call of
the twelve apostles to a stated attendance. This event took place
after our Lord had celebrated his second passover at Jerusalem, and
when he was about to absent himself from that city for so long a
* Michaclis'B Introduction, vol. ii, part ii, p. 66.
T 4
280 On Harmonies of Scripture* [Part I. Ch. VII.
period as eighteen months. In like manner, the seventy were not
sent forth to show, throughout a wide tract of country, with what
wisdom and power their Master endued them, till within about six
months of our Lord's crucifixion : and the scene of raising the dead,
a kind of miracle which would have exasperated his enemies in pro-
portion as it tended to exalt his prophetic character, was remote from
Jerusalem, till the last passover approached. Lastly, strong pre-
sumptions of the inspiration of the evangelists arise from an accurate
comparison of the Gospels, from their being so wonderfully supple-
mental to each other, in passages reconcilable only by the sugges-
tion of a seemingly indifferent circumstance, and from their real
agreement in the midst of a seeming disagreement. " Truth, like
honesty, often neglects appearances : hypocrisy and imposture are
always guarded." *
1 West on the Resurrection, p. 278. (London edit. 1807. 8vo.)
281
PART II.
ON THE INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE.
BOOK I.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF INTERPRETATION.
CHAPTER I.
ON THE SENSE OJF SCRIPTURE.
SECTION I.
ON THE MEANING OF WORDS.
I. Nature of Words. II, The Sense of Scripture defined: 1. The Li-
teral Sense ; 2. The Allegorical, Ty,pical> and Parabolical Sense ;
3. The Moral Sense of Professor Kant, shown to be destitute of Foundation,
, being formed for society, has received from his Creator the
faculty of communicating to his fellow-men, by means of certain signs,
the ideas conceived in his mind. Hence, his organs of speech are
so constructed, that he is capable of forming certain articulate sounds,
expressive of his conceptions ; and these, being fitly disposed together,
constitute discourse : which, whether it be pronounced or written,
must necessarily possess the power of declaring to others what he
wishes they should understand.
I. The vehicles, or signs, by which men communicate their thoughts
to each other, are termed WORDS ; whether these are orally uttered,
or described by written characters ; the idea, or notion, attached
to any word, is its SIGNIFICATION ; and the ideas which are expressed
by several words connected together, that is, in entire sentences
and propositions, and which ideas are produced in the minds of
others, are called the SENSE or proper meaning of words. Thus,
if a person utter certain words, to which another individual attaches
the same idea as the speaker, he is said to understand the latter, or to
comprehend the sense of his words. If we transfer this to sacred
subjects, we may define the sense of Scripture to be that conception
of its meaning, which the Holy Spirit presents to the understanding
of man, by means of the words of Scripture, and by means of the
ideas comprised in those words* 1
1 Stuart's Elements of Interpretation, p. 7. (Andover, 1822.)
282 On the Seme of Scripture. [Part II. Ch.
EVERY WORD MUST HAVE SOME MEANING-.
Although in every language there are very many words which
admit of several meanings, yet in common parlance there is only
one true sense attached to any word ; which sense is indicated by the
connection and series of the discourse, by its subject-matter, by the
design of the speaker or writer, or by some other adjuncts, unless
any ambiguity be purposely intended- That the same usage obtains
in the Sacred Writings there is no doubt whatever. In fact, the per-
spicuity of the. Scriptures requires this unity and simplicity of sense,
in order to render intelligible to man the design of their Great
Author, which could never be comprehended if a multiplicity of
senses were admitted. In all other writings, indeed, besides the
Scriptures, before we sit down to study them, we expect to find one
single determinate sense and meaning attached to the words ; from
which we may be satisfied that \ve have attained their true meaning,
and understand what the authors intended to say. Further, in com-
mon life, no prudent and conscientious person, who either commits
his sentiments to writing or utters any thing, intends that a diversity
of meanings should be attached to what he writes or says: and, con-
sequently, neither his readers, nor those who hear him, affix to it
any other than the true and obvious sense. Now, if such be the
practice in all fair and upright intercourse between man and man, is
it for a moment to be supposed that God who has graciously vouch-
safed to employ the ministry of men in order to make known his will
to mankind, should have departed from this way of simplicity and
truth? Few persons, we apprehend, will be found, in this enlight-
ened age, sufficiently hardy to maintain the affirmative. l
II. The SENSE OF SCKIPTURE DEFINED.
1. The LITERAL SENSE of any place of Scripture is- that which the
words signify, or require, in their natural and proper acceptation,
without any trope, metaphor, or figure, and abstracted from any mystic
meaning : Thus, in
Gen. i. I. We read that God created the heaven and the earth. These
words mean what they literally import, and are to be interpreted accord-
ing to the letter. So, in John x. 30. we read, / and the Father are one;
In which passage the deity of Christ, and his equality with God the Fa-
ther, are so distinctly and unequivocally asserted, that it is difficult to
conceive how any other than its proper and literal meaning "Could ever
be given to it.
The literal sense has also been termed the grammatical sense; the
term grammatical having the same reference to the Greek language
as the term literal to the Latin, both referring to the elements of^a
word. Words may also be taken properly and physically, as in
John i. 6. There teas a manft/iose name >was John: this is called the
proper literal sense. When, however, words are taken metaphori-
cally and figuratively, that is, are diverted to a meaning which they
1 Kfciilii Elernenta Hcnneiiout. Nov. Test. p. 12. On this subject the reader may
consult M. Winterberg's " Prolu&io de interpretatione imica, umc4, et certa? persuasion is
de doctrinal rcligionis vcritate ct amicoe consensionis causa/' in VclUiu&en's and Kuinliel's
Commcntatmws Theological) vol. iv. pp, 420 438.
I. Sect. L] On the Sense of Scripture. 283
clo not naturally denote, but which they nevertheless intend under
some figure or form of speech, as when the properties of one per-
son or thing are attributed to another, this is termed the tropical
or figurative sense. l
16 Thus, when hardness is applied to stone, the expression is used liter-
ally, in its proper and natural signification: when it is applied to the
hearty it is used figuratively, or in an improper acceptation. Yet the
sense, allowing for the change of subject, is virtually the same, its appli-
cation being only transferred from a physical to a moral quality." 2 An
example of this kind occurs in Ezek. xxxvi. 26. and xi. 19., where the
heart of stone denotes a hard obdurate heart, regardless of divine ad-
monitions, and the heart of flesh signifies a tender heart, susceptible of
the best and holiest impressions. In like manner, in Zech. vii. 12., the
obdurate Jews are said to have made their hearts as an adamant stone.
Numerous similar expressions occur in the New as well as in the Old
Testament, as in Luke xiii. 32. John i. 29. and xv. 5. ; where Herod, for
his craftiness and cruelty, is termed &Jbxs the Saviour of the world is
called the Lamb of God, because to his great atoning sacrifice for the
sins of the whole world, the lamb, which was offered every morning and
evening, had a typical reference; he is also called a vine, as all true
Christians are designated the branches, to intimate that Christ is the sup-
port of the whole church, and of every particular believer, that, in the
language of the New Testament, they are all implanted and grafted into
him, that is, united to him by true faith and sincere love, and that they
all derive spiritual life and vigour from him. It were unnecessary to
multiply examples of this kind, as every diligent reader of the Word of
God will doubtless be able to recollect them.
Further, the literal sense has been called the HISTORICAL SENSE,
as conveying the meaning of the words and phrases used by a writer
at a certain time.
Thus, in the more antient books of the Old Testament, the word isles
or islands signifies every inhabited region, particularly all the western
coasts of the Mediterranean Sea, and the seats of Japhet's posterity, viz.
the northern part of Asia, Asia Minor, and Europe, together with some
other regions. Of this sense of the word we have examples in Gen. x. 5.
Isa, xi. 11. xx. 6. xxiii.G. xxiv. 15. xlii. 15. lxvi.19. Ezekiel xxvi.15.
18. xxvii. 3 7. 15.35. But, in a later age, it denotes islands properly
so called, as in Esther x. 1., and, perhaps, Jer. xlvii. 4* (marginal
rendering.) 3 Again, the phrase, to possess or inherit the land, which
is of very frequent occurrence in the Old Testament, if we consider it
historically, that is, with reference to the history of the Jewish nation?
means simply, to hold the secure and undisturbed possession of the pro- 1
raised land; "and in the New Testament, the phrase to "follow Christ'*
must in like manner be understood historically in some passages of tlie
i The tropical sense is no other than the ^figurative sense. As we say, in language'
derived from the Greek, that a trope is used when a word is turned from its literal or
grammatical sense : so we say, in language derived from the Latin, that a figure is then-
used, because in such cases the meaning of the word assumes a new^5rnt. The same
opposition, therefore, which is expressed by the terms literal sense mid. figurative sense, is-
expressed also by the terms grammatical sense and tropical sense.*' Bishop Marsh*
Luct. part iii. p. 67.
s Bishop Vanmildert's Bamp. Lect. p. 222.
3 Jahn* Enchiridion Hermencuticce Gcneralis, p.24., who cites MichaeUVs Sjjicilegium
Geographic Hebron Extorae, parti, pp. 131 143., and also his Supplomentum ad
JLuxica Ilebraica, pp. G8, (39,
284 On the Sense of Scripture. [Part II. Ch.
Gospels ; implying no more than that the persons there mentioned followed
the Lord Jesus Christ in his progresses, and were auditors of his public
instructions, precisely as the apostles followed him from place to place,
and heard his doctrine. l
Interpreters now speak of the true sense of a passage, by calling
it the GRAMMATICO-HISTORICAL SENSE : and exegesis, founded on
the nature of language, is called grammatico-historicaL The object
in using this compound name is, to show that both grammatical and
historical considerations are employed in making out the sense of a
word or passage.
2. Where, besides the direct or immediate signification of a pas-
sage, whether literally or figuratively expresed, there is attached to
it a more remote or recondite meaning, this is termed the MEDIATE,
SPIRITUAL, or MYSTICAL SENSE a : and this sense is founded, not on a
transfer of words from one -signification to another,, .but on the entire
application of the matter itself to a different subject.
Thus, x^hat is said literally in. Exod. xxx. 10. and Levit.xvi, concerning
the High Priest's entrance into the most holy place on the day of expi-
ation, with the blood of the victim, we are taught by St. Paul' to under-
stand spiritually of the entrance of Jesus Christ into the presence of God
with his own blood. (Heb. ix* 720.)
The spiritual sense of Scripture has frequently been divided into
allegorical, typical, and parabolical. The reason of this mode of clas-
sifications, as well as of some other minor distinctions, does not suf-
ficiently appear. Since, however, it has obtained a place in almost
every treatise on the interpretation of the Scriptures, it may not be
irrelevant to define and illustrate these senses by a few examples.
(1.) The ALLEGORICAL SENSE is, when the Holy Scriptures, be-
sides the literal sense, signify any thing belonging to faith or spiritual
doctrine.
Such is the sense which is required rightly to understand Gal. iv. 24. .
d nvx EO-TIV oXXijyopotyAeva, which things are allegorically spoken, or, which
things are thus allegorised by me ; that is, under the veil of the literal
sense they further contain a spiritual or mystical sense.
(2.) The TYPICAL SENSE is, when, under external objects or pro-
phetic visions, secret things, whether present or future, are repre-
sented; especially when certain transactions recorded in the Old
Testament presignify or adumbrate those related in the New Testa-
ment.
Thus, in Psal. xcv. 11., the words " they should not enter into my rest"
literally understood^ signify the entrance of the Israelites into the pro-
raised land; but, spiritually aud typically, the entering into the rest and
1 Many additional instances might be offered, if the limits of this work would permit.
The reader, who is desirous of fully investigating the historic sense of Scripture, will
derive much solid_ benefit from Dr. Starr's Disquisition de Sensu Historico, in vol. i.
(pp. 188.) of his " Opuscula Academica ad Jnterpretationem Librorum Sacrorum
pertinentia," Svo. Tubingen, 1796.
2 ** Dicitur ^niysticus," says a learned and sensible Roman Catholic writer, "a pita,
claudos quia licet non semper fidei mysteria comprehendat, magis tamen occultus, etclau-
sus est, quam literalis, qui per verba rite intellecta facilius innotesdt." Adami Viser,
Hemuftfieutica Sacra Novi Testament!, pars ii. pp. 51, 52. See also Jahn's Enchiridion
Hercneneutica? Generalis, pp. 41 ,42,; and Bishop Vanmildert's Bampton Lectures, p,222.
L Sect. L] On the Sense of Scripture; 285
enjoyment of heaven, through the merits and mediation of Christ, as is
largely shown in the epistle to the Hebrews, chapters iii. and iv.
(3.) The PARABOLICAL SENSE is, when, besides the plain ajicl obvious
meaning of the thing related, an occult or spiritual sense is intended.
As this chiefly occurs in passages of a moral tendency, the parabolic
has by some writers been termed the moral or tropological sense.
Of this description is the parable of the talents: the design of which is
to show that the duties which men are called to perform are suited to
their situations and the talents which they severally receive ; that what-
ever a good man possesses he has received from God, as well as the
ability to improve that good ; and that the grace and temporal mercies
of God are suited to the power which a man has of improving them.
Thus, also, the injunction in Deut. xxv. 4s, relative to muzzling the ox
while treading out the corn, is explained by St. Paul with reference to
the right of maintenance of ministers of the Gospel. (1 Cor. ix. 9 11.)
It were easy to multiply examples of each of the different senses
here mentioned ; but as they have all one common foundation, and
as we shall have occasion to adduce others in the course of the fol-
lowing pages, when stating the rules for interpreting the sense of
Scripture after it has been ascertained, the instances above quoted may
suffice to illustrate the distinctions subsisting between them. 1
3. The MORAL SENSE or interpretation, advocated by the late
Professor Kant, of Berlin, (whose philosophical system has obtained
many followers on the Continent) consists in setting aside the laws of
grammatical and historical interpretation, and attributing a moral
meaning to those passages of Scripture j which, agreeably to gram-
matical interpretation, contain nothing coincident with the moral
dictates of unassisted reason. According to this hypothesis, nothing
more is necessary, than that it be itossibh to attach a moral meaning
to the passage ; it is of little moment, how forced or unnatural
it may be. Against this mode of interpretation (which is here
noticed in order to put the student on his guard) the following
weighty objections have been urged :
(1.) Such a mode of explaining Scripture, does not deserve the
name of an interpretation : for this moral interpreter does not in-
quire, what the Scriptures actually do teach by their own declar-
ations, but what they ought to teach, agreeably to his opinions.
(2.) The principle is incorrect, which is assumed as the basis of
this mode of interpretation : viz. that the grammatical sense of a
passage of Scripture cannot be admitted, or at least is of no use in
1 Bauer, Uerm. Sacr. pp. 13 44. Viser, Hermoneutica Sacra, Nov. Test, parsii,
pp, 1 150. - J. E. Pfciffer, Institution's Bermoneuticoj Sacra?, pp. 122 132. Aug.
Pfeifter, Herm. Sacr. cap. iii. (Op. torn. ii. pp, 633 638.) Ernesti Institutio Interprets
Novi Test. pp. 14 SO. 4th edit.) Mori Acroases Academic super Hermeneiitica Nov.
Test, torn, i. pp. 27 73. J. B. Carpzovii, Primse Linese Herm, Sac. p. 24. Alber,
Institutiones Hermeneuticae Nov. Test. torn. i. pp. 4446. Bishop Middleton on the
Greek Article, pp.580 590. Bishop Marsh's Lect. part iii. lect. xv. and xvf. pp.42
78.; and Bishop Vanmildert's Bampton Lectures, Serin, vii. pp.217 232. and notes,
pp. 385 395. The two writers, last cited, have iJlu&trated tire sense of Scripture, by
applying it to the discussion, of some important controversial points between Protestants
and Romanists, which the limits of a practical work will not admit of beiug noticed.
286 Rules for Investigating the Meaning of Words. [Part II. Ch.
ethics, whenever it contains a sentiment, which reason alone could
not discover and substantiate.
(3.) Such a mode of interpretation is altogether unnecessary : for
the Bible is abundantly sufficient for our instruction in religion and
morality, if its precepts are construed as applying directly or by
consequence to the moral necessities of every man. And, although
there are passages of difficult explanation in the Bible, as mioiit
naturally be expected from the antiquity and peculiar languages of
the Scriptures ; yet, in most instances these passages do not refate to
doctrines ; and, when they do, the doctrines in question are gene-
rally taught in other and plainer passages.
(4.) As, on this plan, the mere possibility of attaching a moral
import to a text is regarded as sufficient for considering it as a true
signification ; almost every passage must be susceptible of a mul-
titude of interpretations, as was the case, during the reign of the
mystical and allegorical mode of interpretation, which has long since
been exploded. This must produce confusion in religious instruc-
tion, want of confidence in the Bible, and, indeed, a suspicion as to
its divine authority : for this must be the natural effect of the moral
of interpretation on the majority of minds.
^ (5.) Lastly, if such a mode of interpreting the doctrines of Chris-
tianity should prevail, it is not seen how insincerity and deceit, on
the part of interpreters, are to be detected and exposed. x
SECTION II.
GENERAL RULES FOR INVESTIGATING THE MEANING OF WORDS.
SINCE words compose sentences, and from these, rightly under-
stood, the meaning of an author is to be collected, it is necessary that
we ascertain the individual meaning of words before we proceed
further to investigate the sense of Scripture. In the prosecution of
this important work, we may observe, generally, that as the same
method and the same principles of interpretation are common both
to the sacred volume and to the productions of uninspired man
consequently the signification of words in the Holy Scriptures must
be sought precisely in the same way in which the meaning of words in
other works usually is or ought to be sought. . Hence also it follows,
that the method of investigating the signification of words in the
-Bible is no more arbitrary than it is in other books, but is in like
manner regulated by certain laws, drawn from the nature of lan-
guages. And since no text of Scripture has more than one meaning
we must endeavour to find out that one true sense precisely in tlae
same manner as we would investigate the sense of Homer or any
other antient writer; and in that sense, when so ascertained, we
Schmucker's Elementary Course of Biblical Theology, vol. i. pp. 272, 273. t An
v^ Korth America, 1827.) Albcr, Institutions I^nnencut^N^ 5S. vot I
p. 00-03,
I. Sect. IL] Rules for Investigating the Meaning of Words. 287
ought to acquiesce, unless, by applying the just rules of interpret-
ation, it can be shown that the meaning of the passage had been mis-
taken, and that another is the only just, true, and critical sense of
the place. This principle, duly considered, would alone be sufficient
for investigating the sense of Scripture; but as there are not wanting
persons who reject it altogether, and as it may, perhaps, appear too
generally expressed, we shall proceed to consider it more minutely
in the following observations. T
1. Ascertain the usus loquendi, or notion affixed to a tuord by the persons
in general, by tu/iom the language eithe? is notv or formerly was spoken, and
especially in the particular connection in which such notion is affixed.
The meaning of a word used by any writer, is the meaning affixed to it by those for
whom he immediately wrote. For there is a kind of natural compact between those who
write and those who speak a language ; by which they are mutually bound to use words
in a certain sense : he, therefore, who uses such words in a different signification, in a
manner violates that compact, and is in danger of leading men into error, contrary to the
design of God, "who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of
the truth." (1 Tim. ii. 4.) The aids for investigating the usus Joquendi being considered in
the ensuing chapter, it will be sufficient to observe in illustration of the present canon, that
(1.) The books of the Old and New Testament, are, each, to be frequently and care-
fully read, and the subjects therein treated are to be compared together, in order that we
may ascertain the meaning of what the authors thought and wrote.
They, who wish to attain an accurate knowledge of the philosophical notions of Plato,
Aristotle, or any other of the antient Grecian sages, will not consult the later Platonic
writers, or the scholastic authors who depended wholly on the authority of Aristotle, and
whoso knowledge of his works was frequently vary imperfect, but will rather peruse the
writings of the philosophers themselves: in like manner, the books of the Old and New
Testament are to be constantly and carefully perused and weighed by him, who is sincerely
desirous to obtain a correct knowledge of their important contents. For, while we collate
the expressions of each writer, we shall be enabled to harmonise those passages which treat
on the same topics ; and may reasonably hope to discover their true sense. Some foreign
biblical critics, however, (who, in their zeal to accommodate the immutable truths of
Scripture to the standard of the present ago, would divest the Christian dispensation of its
most important doctrines,) have asserted that, in the interpretation of the Old Testament,
all reference to the New Testament is to be excluded. But, unless we consult the latter,
there are passages in the Old Testament, whose meaning cannot 
